{"id":1989,"date":"2018-09-19T08:00:42","date_gmt":"2018-09-19T12:00:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=1989"},"modified":"2021-03-24T15:40:35","modified_gmt":"2021-03-24T19:40:35","slug":"explaining-pens","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/explaining-pens\/","title":{"rendered":"Explaining Pens"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>

“You spent\u00a0HOW<\/em> much on a pen?” Every pen person has heard it at least once.\u00a0It can get a bit annoying to hear, mainly because you can hear the judgement in the tone nine times out of ten.\u00a0If you aren’t a pen person, you’ve probably though it while reading my blog.<\/p>\n

I used to just laugh it off and continue the conversation, but the tiny kernel of hurt remained. It seemed an unfair judgement. After all, I stay within my monthly budget. All my bills get paid. What difference does it make if I buy a semi-expensive pen? Semi-expensive in relation to the full spectrum of available pens, that is.<\/p>\n

Granted, if you’re someone who’s spent their entire life using BIC ballpoints, it’s likely the idea of spending even $10 on a pen is too much. But we’re all different. We all have something we splurge on (when we can). The trick is to know what the person you’re talking to splurges on.<\/p>\n

For example, I was talking to a friend the other day who was having the typical non-pen person reaction (basically, wow, that’s expensive). Knowing she’s on the girly side, I told her:<\/p>\n

“Pens for me are like shoes and bags for other ladies”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

It was really interesting to experience her near instant change in attitude with her new understanding.<\/p>\n

“ohh got it \ud83d\ude09 they are like the jimmy choos”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I’ve had similar experiences with other friends, too. Once I can give them something to relate to, they understand me better and the judgement ceases.<\/p>\n

How do you explain your pen habit\/hobby to friends and family? Or if you aren’t a pen person, what’s your main habit\/hobby, and how do you explain it to your friends and family? Leave me a comment to let me know. I’m really curious.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

“You spent\u00a0HOW much on a pen?” Every pen person has heard it. I’ve found a way to avoid it. Find out how to explain pens (or anything) to non-pen people.<\/p>\n

Keep ReadingExplaining Pens<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[43,28],"class_list":["post-1989","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fountain-pens","tag-story","tag-thoughts","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Z77k-w5","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":13097,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/outgrowing-a-pen-case\/","url_meta":{"origin":1989,"position":0},"title":"Outgrowing a Pen Case","author":"Rachel","date":"June 19, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"My pen collection has outgrown another pen case. But, unlike previously, this time has really made me think about my collection.","rel":"","context":"In "Fountain Pens"","block_context":{"text":"Fountain Pens","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/fountain-pens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Showing extra pens clipped onto the elastic at each end of the rows where there is extra space","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_160244.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_160244.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_160244.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_160244.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_160244.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/06\/20240618_160244.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":14759,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/pen-rotation-changes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1989,"position":1},"title":"Pen Rotation Changes","author":"Rachel","date":"January 31, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"I made some major changes to my standard pen rotation, and minor changes to my other pen groupings. Find out what's new and what stayed the same.","rel":"","context":"In "Fountain Pens"","block_context":{"text":"Fountain Pens","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/fountain-pens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/rotationChanges-featured.jpg?fit=288%2C288&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":7831,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/pen-porn-opal\/","url_meta":{"origin":1989,"position":2},"title":"Pen Porn: Crystallized Rainbow","author":"Rachel","date":"June 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"This will be a unique pen porn post. This material is nearly impossible to capture, but I've done my best.","rel":"","context":"In "Fountain Pens"","block_context":{"text":"Fountain Pens","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/fountain-pens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"showing opal pen colors","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220625_160451.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220625_160451.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220625_160451.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220625_160451.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/06\/20220625_160451.jpg?resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":15147,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/quick-reflection\/","url_meta":{"origin":1989,"position":3},"title":"A Quick Reflection","author":"Rachel","date":"May 9, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"A short post today, looking at the pens that have been in my collection the longest.","rel":"","context":"In "Fountain Pens"","block_context":{"text":"Fountain Pens","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/fountain-pens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Lamy Safari Dark Lilac","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lamyDarkLilac.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lamyDarkLilac.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lamyDarkLilac.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lamyDarkLilac.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lamyDarkLilac.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/lamyDarkLilac.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":10243,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/expensive-vibes\/","url_meta":{"origin":1989,"position":4},"title":"Dupe The Expensive Vibes","author":"Rachel","date":"June 9, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Fountain pen prices have a VERY wide range. But, you can often get the feel of more expensive pens for a small fraction of the cost.","rel":"","context":"In "Fountain Pens"","block_context":{"text":"Fountain Pens","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/fountain-pens\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Pen comparison. 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