Emptying the nest

How I discovered a 28-year-old pen

Shelley

Listen up as I share the secrets of my discovery with you.  I want you to feel good about discoveries like mine when you come across them in your home.  What did I discover that I haven’t parted with over the years as a Dubious MinimalistTM?  While the list is long, a memorable item stands out as noteworthy.  Since I still have my short-term memory, today’s story is fresh in my mind.

I’ve always had a quirky way of looking at things.  It’s my coping mechanism. – Sherri Shepherd

I prefer the terms quirky or quaint, but weird works, too.  I came across a box that fits perfectly under the bed and the category of weird.  I’ve kept things that I no doubt made a decision to keep at some point in life.  As a faithful Dubious Minimalist TM, those items revolve around some form of sentimentality or functionality, (aka, the double whammy test for keeping an item).

As the mystery unfolded, the box entered the room the day the new mattress arrived.

Ah, isn’t it a beauty?  The Blue Box – check it out, it’s my favorite color – sky blue and it has white, wispy cloud-like formations scattered all over it.  I could see why I would hang on to it.  Wouldn’t you?  It meets the functionality criteria for keeping it.  It still functions well as intended and it’s sturdy.

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As I opened it up, I was fearful of what I might find.  What items (no one would keep just one item in a large box, that would be silly) had I neglected to check on for an undetermined amount of time?  When I come upon a box like this, I try hard to remember what might be in there before opening.  Have I mentioned that it’s a good thing to test your long-term memory as you age?  Sometimes I pass the memory test, and sometimes I don’t.

This box threw me off, I had NO idea what was in it.  I couldn’t remember keeping the box in the first place, let alone remember when I had placed it under the bed.  Cut me some slack all you perfectionists who clean under your bed on a weekly basis.  We have a bed skirt, and it’s scary under the bed, so I leave that space for the one cat who fits under there and I clean it thoroughly when we replace the mattress.

The box was extremely light, and when I shook it, it sounded like something sliding across the bottom.  Even those clues didn’t help, I still couldn’t figure it out.  So I opened it.  What light as a feather item did I find?

A 28-year-old pen.

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From our Wedding.  Test 1 – Sentimentality factor – check.

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You’ve got to be kidding me, right?  I know, right, and you’re jealous, aren’t you?!

But…it has to be dried out so I can throw it away, right?

I gave it try.  As I scribbled on the back of the packaging, the radiant sunlight shined brightly through the window, glowing on the box…and…it was a miracle (on Easter Sunday).

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Test 2 – Functionality – check.

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Me:  Did you notice what I added to my office?

Mr.:  No, what?

Me:  Our wedding pen.  And, yes, it’s a miracle, it still works.  So I thought I should display it.

Mr.:  Uh, huh, that’s nice dear.

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And, the sky blue box…well, it’s not so lucky.  I’m filling it with items to donate, and once it is full, I’ll donate the box, too.  It’s way more fun looking at real clouds anyhow!

And…that’s the story of how I discovered a 28-year-old pen.

Post inspiration:  Cee’s Odd Ball Challenge

PS – Now it’s your turn, what 28-year-old item have you kept that you’ve reincorporated into your life instead of throwing it away?  

 

 

Published by Shelley

Letting my quirk out one post at a time.

14 thoughts on “How I discovered a 28-year-old pen”

  2. Very nice discovery, Shelley! Saturday, I was helping my Dad clean his garage out. He’s about to have it converted to an exercise room. On the top shelf in the back corner, I discovered a very heavy, large plastic tub with a cracked, peeling, yellowed masking tape label that read “Denny’s Books”. After we managed to wrestle it down and get the lid off, I found that the MOST recent books in it were from my last semester as an undergrad, May 2000. There were books in there dating back to the 1970s, though, including 2 large, hardcover, Superman books; _Superman from the 1930s – 1960s_ & _The Superman Encyclopedia_. There were 6 volumes of my cherished _Charlie Brown Big Books of Everything_, a kid-themed encyclopedia set. My Grandmother & Grandaddy in Nashville used to get me one every time we came to visit or mail me one on birthdays or Christmases. I used to read them cover to cover over and over, and I credit them with earning me my nickname Professor X when I was a pre-adolescent & teen. Also, there was an envelope full of pictures from 1985, when my Grandma & Grandpa from Alabama came for a weekend visit. What a find, eh?

    1. Oh, my goodness, that’s definitely a treasure full of discoveries and memories! Thank you for sharing your story with me, I appreciate you taking the time to tell me about it!

  4. Somewhere down in my basement in a box, I have that same pen. My wedding pen! Mine is almost 33 years old! LOL! I think it’s neat that you displayed it. I have to ask about the red (or pink) spray bottle and it’s function. Would it by chance have anything to do with cats? Because I have a green one just like it.

    1. LOL! 33 years and counting, that’s awesome! The pink spray bottle is for spraying my plants. I hear they work for cats, too, mine are senior citizens who don’t get into too much trouble anymore so I don’t need to spray them. 🙂

  5. My husband? Oh wait, that’s actually almost 30 years! But seriously, I have so many things that seem essential … a bit of a hoarder, I am.

    1. Thank you, Denny, that’s so nice of you to tag me! I’ve been having technical issues. I might not get to do it right away! I’ll check it out when I get my problems resolved. Thank you for your patience!

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