I Have A Pen

You know the old truism that pens and biros have as short a life as paperclips and matching socks? I’ve got an exception to the rule right here. I have a biro on my desk which has stayed with me 12 years. And counting.
There’s nothing special about it; it’s not ornate or unique. It’s a cheap blue ‘staedtler’ with no modifications or attachments, save for one thing which sets it apart from the multitude of pens and biros (and paperclips and socks) which pass in and out of my life: wrapped around it is a tattered piece of paper, under a layer of stickytape, which says ‘Cookie!’. I remember adding this when pens were in short supply in my work at Sonshine fm, waay back before computers did the job. We used typewriters, whiteout and pens to mark up the copy. That was late 1990.
Now, in 2002, it’s still here. It’s come with me through commercial media, computer studies, through tech support, through consulting, into marketing; lasted 5 employers, 8 different offices, several dozen desks, and it’s still here. And it *still works*. (I don’t actually *use* it that often. It’s just nice having it around). No-one has nicked it; and if they have, it’s found its way back. i’ve labelled other pens, but I suspect it’s the ‘!’ which has made all the difference.
Maybe I should start naming my bank accounts the same way.