Whatever Happened to My Lucky Pen?

I know I am not alone here. Almost everyone at some point had some sort of lucky charm. Maybe it was underwear, a hair accessory, a peaked cap, or a photo of a BFF. Who knows? I had a lucky pen. This pen went with me to all my tests and examinations. Even if ink was unnecessary – like for instance a driving test, or an eye test. I don't think I am superstitious, but it was always comforting to know that my silver, shiny Parker pen was hanging around.

And even now, that the world is transitioning to digital, I always carry a pen with me wherever I go. But it's not the pen. It's not my pen.

At what point did the pen disappear? At what point did I stop looking for it? Did it slink away when it saw the screens looming in the near distance? Or did it escape at first chance when I was distracted by the daily grind of other things. I ask myself now – in all seriousness – was the pen merely a transition object: like a pacifier or a blankey? Is it gone because I have matured, or because I became neglectful? Did it ever really bring me luck? Would I be luckier now if I still had it? So many questions – and no pen.

Pen and I, we had good times. We wrote things together. We shared intimate thoughts and plans for the future. We calculated, miscalculated and recalculated. We doodled, sketched and illustrated.

I can almost imagine holding it now: sharp, sleek and slightly cold to touch.

I miss you old friend. How did I let you get away from me?

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