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Sharpened Pencils

Do you remember the scent of a freshly sharpened #2 pencil? The subtle combination of wood shavings and metallic lead?

Does the sheer mention of this bring you back somewhere?  To another place and time, entirely?

I can't remember what it was like to just write, you know, with simply a pencil or pen, exclusively.  The days when keyboards were barely an idea -- still infant typewriters.  Our handwriting mattered, we practiced it with our sharp pencils for inordinate amounts of time it seemed.

Now there's keyboarding.  Kids take a course called keyboarding.  Penmanship is falling by the wayside.  Quickly too.

In my very old house, inserted on the inside of a small oddly-shaped closet door (in the kitchen) is a metal pencil sharpener affixed to the interior door.  The kind you have to "crank" to operate.

I think I'll leave it there.

Comments

Anonymous said…
This is my favorite so far.

David O.
September 7, 2010 at 8:15 AM
Nancy said…
We still have the same one inside our laundry area. It was left in this house by my husbands parents. It is by far the best sharpener I have ever used. Sometimes older is better. Nancy
September 7, 2010 at 9:02 AM
Lisa D'Urso said…
I remember having that pencil sharpener attached to the wall going down to the basement , just inside the basement door. It was never broken, it didn't need to be plugged in and it always sharpened evenly. Nancy is right, sometimes older is better!
September 7, 2010 at 4:09 PM
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