(This post is a part of Blogchatter Half Marathon 2025, wherein 10 posts are published in 15 days. This is the third one. The prompt: Pick one object in your room, write about its story and why it matters to you.)
One of the small things I never forget when I step out is my pocket notebook (or scribble pad) and a pen. It’s a leftover habit from the pre-mobile phone days.
People without a notepad usually scramble for loose paper: a receipt, a torn newspaper corner, an envelope, or even a bus ticket. I’ve never liked that. It always felt good to have something with myself to write on.
And then, the pen. You never know when you might need one. I’ve seen many people, especially in post offices, asking strangers for pens. I’ve lent mine several times and lost a few that way.
So now, when I give someone my pen, I keep the cap with me: a small trick that reminds both of us. This is only if it's a pen with a cap, or I end up keeping my fingers crossed.
My notepads have become small diaries over time. I usually note the date whenever I write. I still have a few old ones at home; pages crumpled, some almost coming apart. I never felt like throwing them away. Once in a while, I flip through them, and it feels like traveling back in time. It’s amazing how a few words or numbers can hold so many memories.
These days, Google Keep is my digital equivalent. Anything longer or detailed goes there. But quick lists, or random jottings, or short reminders still find their way into the tiny notepad.
I know the modern trend is not to jot down anything, but to click a photo with the mobile phone camera.
All said and done, writing by hand gives me a quiet sense of having done something. It’s one small way of staying away from screens. Maybe that’s what makes this old habit worth keeping; a gentle pause in a digital world.
When I give someone my pen, I keep the cap with me. HaHaHa. Indian ingenuity.
ReplyDeleteYes, what we call here "jugad".
DeleteHari Om
ReplyDeleteI like Keep, very useful digipad. I have so many pads and pens... sadly way underused these days! YAM xx
Hi Yamini - Yes, Keep is quite light and user-friendly.
DeleteThat is a good idea, although I find that I don't jot things down.
ReplyDeleteNot surprising. With mobile devices, we all have moved on.
DeleteBravo! I need to resume this simple and brilliant habit. Be well!
ReplyDeleteHi Darla - Thank you.
DeleteI have a note pad and pen next to me on which I make notes when reading blogs
ReplyDeleteOkay, that is a nice habit.
DeleteI used to keep a notebook when on holidays and travelling. I'd just jot down what we did each day, usually at the end of the day. I became lazy and stopped doing it when sophisticated tech arrived. I could check my timeline on Google Maps and check my phone banking app to see where I had spent money. This last holiday, I did make note points, but I only began about five days after trip began, so I had to resort to the tech method to write down what I had forgotten.
ReplyDeleteI can understand. It's the same for me as well. Though I carry the scribble pad, there is far less written on that compared to earlier days. We have all got used to the convenience of technology.
DeleteKeeping the pen cap is certainly a novel way to remind yourself to take back your pen.
ReplyDeleteMy reporting manager at my previous job (who used to sit next to me) used to always borrow my pens and dump them in his own cabinet after he was done :p
Hi CRD - That used to happen in my office as well!
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