I used to be called an early adopter. Since I had a strong desire to use new electronic devices, using the latest products was a daily habit for me.
I thought I would always live that way.... but now looking back as I approach my late 40s, I realized that the passion I had back then has disappeared.
The passion to try new things, analyze them, and compare them has faded, and since when I began looking for familiar things more. Looking at the things I'm currently using, I realized that most of them are 2-3 years old at the least, and over 10 years old at the longest, and I was quite surprised. With cars too, I used to change them after using them for at most 2 years, but now it seems I'm not even aware of it anymore, let alone finding it bothersome.
Below the computer monitor, I always have two Lamy fountain pens in the Pen Tray that are old but most familiar to me... Since presbyopia has set in, reading glasses are always positioned in front of the monitor. I remember using Lamy fountain pens for the first time when I worked at a telecommunications company. It was a fairly large company, so there were many regular meetings and collaborations with other departments, and in those days PDAs couldn't really function as memos, so I had the habit of always using fountain pens or pencils as writing instruments in a Franklin Planner, which still remains. Recently, since I rarely have to write, when I maintain my fountain pen, the next time I want to use it, the ink has dried up and I can't write with it, which happens frequently, so I've somewhat given up on maintenance. Still, if it's not nearby, it feels like something is missing, so I always keep it with me.
I remember my parents always telling me to practice with pencils when I was learning to write, and they didn't let me use mechanical pencils... but why do I want to do what I'm told not to do... back then I insisted on using mechanical pencils, but once the nagging stopped, it seems I came to like pencils again. In my case, when I'm not using a fountain pen, pencils are my preferred choice over ballpoint pens.
Since I like pencils, I naturally started to indulge in a little luxury, and that luxury item is.... the Perfect Pencil by Faber-Castell, which is called the Hermès of the pencil world. People say it's crazy that a pencil costs 300,000 won... but you know how it is... there's always one item you really want to have... and for me, that item was the Perfect Pencil.
Faber-Castell, the company that first made pencils.... doesn't it somehow feel like you can sense the breath of a craftsman when they say 'the first company to make them'? ㅎㅎㅎ
One refill core costs 15,000 won... just the eraser cap costs 50,000 won.... I can't compare it to the bags of women... but looking at it only as a pencil item, it's definitely a luxury item. Although it's called a luxury item, it's called a luxury brand for good reason.
Compared to other pencils, the grip feel and writing feel are excellent in actual use. It's like showing the fundamentals of pencils. The premium wood pattern and the feeling the wood grain gives add to the grip. The built-in eraser and pencil sharpener are housed in the cap as the name Perfect Pencil suggests. The cap is platinum-plated. It gives a warm feeling and the heavy feel of the metal cap has a subtle charm that makes you want to write. That charm has become familiar, and it's still one of my favorite writing instruments.
I wasn't trying to talk about writing instruments, but I've gone on too long with preamble.
When I think about it, familiarity is really scary. Even when something should bore me.... because of familiarity I can't let it go.... and for some things I can't find a replacement so I just keep using it.... And that familiarity is not limited to objects. Even in relationships with people, there are surely better people and better groups, but somehow people fall into familiarity and repeat endlessly...
After a business trip away from home for a few days, perhaps because of the long travel time, I suddenly had such thoughts. Looking around me.... I know that I need to organize and meet better people and better relationships, but I realize I'm finding it bothersome to build new relationships and learn new things. I was choosing the comfort that familiarity brings. I was being lazy about learning while my current situation is not stable or comfortable... I became aware that I was unconsciously excluding accepting new things and continuing new relationships. I made a reflection on this.
It's a poor excuse... but assuming the new year is based on the lunar new year... from the new year, I will try to accept new relationships, new people, and new environments without hesitation, with the spirit of an "early adopter" from my heyday, breaking free from familiarity.
As I wait for the Lunar New Year holidays coming up in just a few days, I make a new year (?) resolution. ^^
