Memories of the NUNS! Yikes! This brought back some memories ...

JCinPA · Oct 10, 2011

Anyone else??

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfiC8c-f9wk&feature=related

That reminds me, I haven't seen any posts about those old, semi-transparent Sheaffer pens we used to write with in the 60's until I saw this. Does anyone have any? I see them for sale on the 'Bay and thought of getting one just for the nostalgia. Apparently they are quite plentiful because they are cheap.

The Nid Hog · Oct 10, 2011

That's pretty much how I write today--Sr. Marie Therese accomplished her mission. Even so, it doesn't look very good. My mom was a Palmer Method guru--she could crank it out faster than a printer.

I don't recall having FPs in school (this was in Western PA)--the nuns must have been making the transition when I started. What I do remember is that we first learned to write by assembling words on a slotted panel using square yellow letter cards that we kept in a box. Kind of like solo Scrabble, but the card was large enough that it could hold several lines of text. After that, we moved to big, fat yellow pencils and the lined notebooks. Pens came after that, but I think that they were those clear body Bics with the colored cap. The FPs probably went out with Vatican II!

DunEdinRanger · Oct 10, 2011

I remember the nuns well. The same ones who would look at my handwriting and call it "Chicken Scratch", still the only subject that kept me from a Straight A's in 8th grade.

But the more I look back, the more I realize the wisdom of the nuns was, to borrow a phrase from across the pond, Spot On.

The nuns reminded us, almost daily of the great lesson from the old Baltimore Catechism - Why did God create us? "To know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world so we could be with him in the next." That gave meaning and purpose to life, no matter how hard it got; the reminder was simple, We are created for a greater purpose.

And when things did get tough, they didn't tell us to call a WHAAAAAmbulance, rather they drilled it into us, "Suck it up! Offer it up for Christ" - they even gave suffering meaning and purpose, united with the suffering on the Cross.

I actually owe those nuns more than they will ever know in this life.

By the way, I've also thought about getting those old translucent Sheaffers just for the nostalgia value...

Altair · Oct 10, 2011

Never knew any nuns but I do remember practicing.

The Nid Hog · Oct 11, 2011

JCinPA said:
That reminds me, I haven't seen any posts about those old, semi-transparent Sheaffer pens we used to write with in the 60's until I saw this. Does anyone have any? I see them for sale on the 'Bay and thought of getting one just for the nostalgia. Apparently they are quite plentiful because they are cheap.

Post a picture of one, if you get a chance. I'm surprised that I missed out on this--it's like finding out that your church was missing one of the Stations of the Cross.

JCinPA · Oct 11, 2011

DunEdinRanger said:
I remember the nuns well. The same ones who would look at my handwriting and call it "Chicken Scratch", still the only subject that kept me from a Straight A's in 8th grade.

But the more I look back, the more I realize the wisdom of the nuns was, to borrow a phrase from across the pond, Spot On.

The nuns reminded us, almost daily of the great lesson from the old Baltimore Catechism - Why did God create us? "To know Him, love Him, and serve Him in this world so we could be with him in the next." That gave meaning and purpose to life, no matter how hard it got; the reminder was simple, We are created for a greater purpose.

And when things did get tough, they didn't tell us to call a WHAAAAAmbulance, rather they drilled it into us, "Suck it up! Offer it up for Christ" - they even gave suffering meaning and purpose, united with the suffering on the Cross.

I actually owe those nuns more than they will ever know in this life.

By the way, I've also thought about getting those old translucent Sheaffers just for the nostalgia value...

I am not alone! Yay!

To the rest of you, I am 55 this year and I believe I was 'allowed' to use a ball point somewhere around the 6th grade, IIRC, as has been noted, the clear-barreled BICs with the color cap that wouldn't stay on. As I recall, the death of the fountain pen came remarkably quickly. At one point, every grade was using them, then BAM, they disappeared. Like the dinosaur. I suspect mothers may have been a factor, they were certainly less messy.

The ones I remember looked like this. In my earliest years they were the opaque colors. After using them a couple years the transparent colored ones came out and boy, were they considered the height of cool! Earlier versions had rounded ends. The most common ones in my day were the slightly pointed ends.

DunEdinRanger · Oct 11, 2011

Where did you find those pens, and at what price?

JCinPA · Oct 11, 2011

I did not get those pens, I just snagged a photo from "Images" after Googling "Sheaffer school pens".

There are a bunch of them on the 'Bay, they are all over the place.

EL Alamein · Oct 11, 2011

I used one of those translucent Sheaffer fountain pens all through high school and college. They laid down a nice line so I preferred them to ball pens. I still have it and still use it. I stopped using it for a while because it seemed that I couldn’t find cartridges anymore. When I came across cartridges for it recently I started using it again. Works great!

Chris

nemo · Oct 11, 2011

JCinPA said:
I am not alone! Yay!

To the rest of you, I am 55 this year and I believe I was 'allowed' to use a ball point somewhere around the 6th grade, IIRC, as has been noted, the clear-barreled BICs with the color cap that wouldn't stay on. As I recall, the death of the fountain pen came remarkably quickly. At one point, every grade was using them, then BAM, they disappeared. Like the dinosaur. I suspect mothers may have been a factor, they were certainly less messy.

The ones I remember looked like this. In my earliest years they were the opaque colors. After using them a couple years the transparent colored ones came out and boy, were they considered the height of cool! Earlier versions had rounded ends. The most common ones in my day were the slightly pointed ends.

First ones were bullet ends, then the conical, and finally the flat bottomed ones. They're out there, I got one recently at a yard sale for $1

The feeds are hard rubber (on most early ones) and make good replacements -- I also use them for giveaways to students. The nibs aren't too good but durable pens for kids since the barrel has a ring that keeps it from cracking when tightened.

Hex · Oct 11, 2011

Sure brings back a lot of memories of knuckles being rapped.

Did you notice the pause before the Capital Q ?
I never liked the "2" version.

My favorite was a capital D

JCinPA · Oct 11, 2011

Hex said:
Sure brings back a lot of memories of knuckles being rapped.

Did you notice the pause before the Capital Q ?
I never liked the "2" version.

My favorite was a capital D

Me either. I still do mostly Palmer, but have modified a lot of the capital letters.

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Memories of the NUNS! Yikes! This brought back some memories ...

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro

The Nid Hog

DunEdinRanger

Altair

The Nid Hog

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro

DunEdinRanger

JCinPA

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EL Alamein

nemo

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Hex

JCinPA

The Lather Maestro

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