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