National Pencil Day - The Object of Endless Possibilities
The Pencil - The Object of Endless Possibilities
I don't typically acknowledge the "national day of whatever." 99% of the time I am unaware that its any kind of national recognition day until social media tells me that it is. 99% of the time I take no action based on the national thing day. Today is a little different.
Admittedly, I was unaware that March 30 was national pencil day, but when it came to my attention, I decided I didn't want to ignore it this time. The pencil and what it represents has a special place in my heart.
As a kid, I remember sitting and staring at my pencil and a blank piece of paper. I remember thinking to myself that I could write, draw, doodle, or note anything I wanted. The pencil represented literally endless possibilities. I could design a house, write a poem, invent a character, compose a song, start a novel, solve an equation, create an identity, build a rocket, explore a new planet, or anything else my mind could dream up. There were infinite things that I could do with that pencil. And the beauty of it all was that I could flip the pencil and use the eraser to give myself a second chance. If the thing I created wasn't quite right, the gummy end of that magic wand granted me the opportunity to make it right. There was nothing that couldn't be fixed. At some point in my life, I lost that perspective.
Currently, my oldest child is wrapping up kindergarten. He's learned to write all the letters and numbers, write his name, read words and draw pictures that represent them, and make up sentences that he can write down to practice his new skill. Over the years, I'd forgotten about this little reflection of mine from my childhood. But now that my son is entering this broad new world where anything is possible, it's all coming back to me. A little bit of magic has been restored in my life.
Tech details on the above image:
Camera: Fujifilm X-T1
Light: LumoPro LP180 through an umbrella
Shot overhead on white plastex. Triggered via Pocket Wizard plus IIIs.