The 4-Color Pen

Surely you all remember the 4-color retractable pen?  I remember having one when I was a kid – I would use it to scribble and color things in, but I never took it seriously.  To me, it was too many things at once; it couldn’t be a serious writing implement because it wasn’t mission specific enough.  It’s like a multi-tool or an 8-in-1 screwdriver; it can get a job done but it isn’t purpose built!  With me being the Folder that I am, the 4-color pen’s lack of focus seemed to be more of a Crumpler’s tool.

But many year’s later, I have been proven wrong!

I was out to dinner the other night with my wife having sushi.  We were ordering food and our waiter was using a 4-color pen to take our order.  My wife noticed it first and made a comment to him about his “cool” pen.  They chuckled about the nostalgia of it and I remember thinking to myself “this guy must be a Crumpler”.

He said to my wife that he gets a kick out of using the old pen, but that it really helps him with his order-taking.  See, he uses a different color per ticket (consistently staying with one color per ticket) so that each ticket order is easily distinguishable to him.  BOOM - mind-blown.

I had to give him props – he applied a system to perceived chaos!  Hat tip to the waiter – my new FOLDER friend.

1 thought on “The 4-Color Pen”

  1. Love it! I didn’t know they still made them, and I can think of many uses for them in organizing lists and such.

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