But the great people do it . . .

Pretty much all the great pastors and authors that I have been largely influenced by use pen and ink primarily for their deep studying.  That is, a pen which must be dipped into the ink (as the older authors had to do) or a fountain pen which must be regularly refilled with ink (as the modern ones do).  I thought it was just a weird notion of theirs that these actually make a difference when writing and studying.  I was wrong.  Something got into me one day and I tried one.  This is no weird notion.  It changes the whole way of writing, it affects the brain, it allows a person to have a deeper relationship with what they are authoring.  I know, it sounds crazy.  But don't be too quick to call me crazy until you try one!  As I was pursuing the art of using fountain pens, I ran out of ink and had to buy myself a real genuine ink bottle.  In old books you read about the ink on a writer's finger.  You also read about the mess this ink can make.  Well, just so you know, it's true.

Without reading the directions of how to do it properly, I excitedly dove into the activity of filling my cartridge and dripped all over.  The ink stains dark and will not come off!  However, the 60 second experiment was hilarious and I am optimistic about the future challenge of filling up the pen without a mess.

"Have you a pen and ink, Master Doctor?"
"'A scholar is never without them, your majesty,' answered Doctor Cornelius"
~C.S. Lewis
Prince Caspian