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I am very particular about my writing device, as are many people. But I’m not sure many people would go so far as to order their pen from England, which I had to do not long ago to replace My Most Favorite Pen Ever. MMFPE was a promotional gift from my former employer over 20 years ago… a Parker Sonnet ultra-fine ballpoint. I had it repaired once and then finally, years later, it was just time for burial. When I went shopping to find another, I discovered it was no longer sold in the US and it was a discontinued style. Thanks to the miracle of the internet, I was still able to locate one and paid the premium to ship it from overseas. My new pen and I are very happy.
But this isn’t a story about the pen itself as much as it’s a story about the power of the pen – or more accurately, the power of the right words at the right time. In January, an advertisement in the newspaper (how quaint of me to still read one) requested nominations for New Jersey’s Volunteer Awards. The minute I read the ad, I had a feeling (more like a ‘knowing”) that I could write a compelling and winning nomination for one of my officers and trustees at the Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA). Cinny is a retired history teacher who introduced environmental education at her school and went on to be a force in the local environmental community. If there is an environmental organization or committee in the county, she’s probably on it, leading it or a member – all as a volunteer. So I had ‘good material’. In fact, my biggest challenge penning the application was to limit the content (and word count) to just some of her many accomplishments.
You can probably see where this is leading… Cinny has won a NJ volunteer award. Fewer than 25 winners were selected from over 500 nominations across the state! Further, some of the awardees were selected to go to Washington DC for the National Volunteer Recognition Event – and Cinny was selected for that! I am absolutely thrilled for her; there is no-one more deserving. And I’m super-pleased to have brought her this distinction through the power of my [pen] words! It is deeply satisfying to have lifted someone up with my writing. I can’t wait for the celebration gala. I only get to go to the NJ one, but she gets to take two family members with her to DC. How proud they will be.
So, OK; that was fun. Anybody else want to win something with words?
But this isn’t a story about the pen itself as much as it’s a story about the power of the pen – or more accurately, the power of the right words at the right time. In January, an advertisement in the newspaper (how quaint of me to still read one) requested nominations for New Jersey’s Volunteer Awards. The minute I read the ad, I had a feeling (more like a ‘knowing”) that I could write a compelling and winning nomination for one of my officers and trustees at the Musconetcong Watershed Association (MWA). Cinny is a retired history teacher who introduced environmental education at her school and went on to be a force in the local environmental community. If there is an environmental organization or committee in the county, she’s probably on it, leading it or a member – all as a volunteer. So I had ‘good material’. In fact, my biggest challenge penning the application was to limit the content (and word count) to just some of her many accomplishments.
You can probably see where this is leading… Cinny has won a NJ volunteer award. Fewer than 25 winners were selected from over 500 nominations across the state! Further, some of the awardees were selected to go to Washington DC for the National Volunteer Recognition Event – and Cinny was selected for that! I am absolutely thrilled for her; there is no-one more deserving. And I’m super-pleased to have brought her this distinction through the power of my [pen] words! It is deeply satisfying to have lifted someone up with my writing. I can’t wait for the celebration gala. I only get to go to the NJ one, but she gets to take two family members with her to DC. How proud they will be.
So, OK; that was fun. Anybody else want to win something with words?