Refilling Memories

My kid called and asked me to buy a Gel pen while coming back to home in the evening, I got annoyed saying, how many pens you need in a week.

His school made it compulsory to use Gel pens only, Gel pens run out fast compared to ball pens. Almost every week need to buy a pen for him.

I thought to buy refill this time, but he denied and I was doubtful whether the refills are sold these days.

Since left the school, almost stopped the regular thing of buying a refill for the pen.

Almost 15-20 years gone, I don’t remember I bought any refill.

The ‘Refill’ phenomenon almost doesn’t exist now.

As a kid, we used to buy new pens, but very rare. Ricoh, Reynolds, Rotomac, the rich guys go for Pilot or ink pens and also that Tic Tic button pen.

Once bought, then for next 6-7 months only refills used to be bought and not new pen.

If any demand comes for pen, parents used to deny saying sometime back only it’s been bought.

The refill which is about to get finished, we kids used fell in love with it. It used to write smooth, easy and fun to write with that old refill.

While giving pens to friends who forgot to bring their own, we used to give the new refilled pen and not the one whose ink is about to finish.

New refill was always a pain. It used to be rough, writing comes faint initially. The mood not used to set with the new refill.

There was a guy in our English tuition, who used to carry 2-3 spare pens and we kids used to ask him only, if someone forgot the pen at home.

That time he happily used to offer us pens with new refills. By doing that, he used to get the smoothened refills for his use.

Now use of pens itself is almost negligible. Except schools and colleges, I think the pens are used just for sign purpose.

Like the branded wrist watches, pens are also become a symbol of luxury. Cross, Parker, Sheaffer, Mont Blanc and many.

I for sure visit the pen showrooms at airports. I compulsorily take a stroll through the pen showroom and once bought a refill as well for my Cross pen, costing almost Rs. 250/-. [too much for me but still I nought it].

‘The fast-food favouring and everything available at the click of a button’ generation, won’t understand the love of the pen and the pain in the smoothening its refills.