White Ink
I have come to a conclusion.
White Ink may be one of the most difficult things on this Earth to find. Why is it that we write in black ink on white paper more often than we write in white ink on black paper? Is paper naturally white?
Well… Here’s how the story goes.
This year I decided that it would be fun to send out some Christmas cards to friends. I’ve never done this before, so one evening when I was at Barnes and Noble, I decided to stop by Hallmark. I looked through all of their wonderful Christmas card sets and decided upon a nice set with a black background, a snowman and a pop-out bird. It looks much better than I’m able to describe it. You just might have to take my word for it. Anyway, They are beautiful little cards, and I can’t wait until I’m able to mail them all out. I realized, after having purchased them, that a black background might have been a stupid decision, as I only have black fountain pens. It’s very hard to write something legibally on a surface whose color is the same as the ink’s.
Upon realizing this, I decided it wouldn’t be too hard to go and purchase a white gel pen, or something of the sort. Tonight I finally had the inkling (get it?) to go purchase that pen. I was in the ‘drive to walmart’ mood, so I hopped in my small Mercury Sable and drove ten minutes to walmart. I searched high and low down the pen and pencil aisle at that place in hopes of finding a white gel pen. Walmart, unfortunately, doesn’t carry white pens. I don’t know what their problem is but they don’t carry them. I’m thinking I should write up a formal complaint and mail it to their corporate office. Nevertheless, being in my happy and ‘wanting to drive around’ mood, I decided I would drive fifteen minutes to Staples.
A key thing to take note of is that it is about ten o’clock P.M., and I’ve had a crazy hair to search for a white gel pen. About ten minutes into my journey to Staples, I realize that they are surely not open on a Saturday night at ten P.M. Out of sheer curiousity and hopefullness, I continued onward anyways, only to confirm that Staples is in fact closed at ten P.M. on Saturdays. I was not done yet though. I left the parking lot of Staples and headed directly for Office Depot. By this point, I was in denile. Another five or so minutes of driving confirmed that, just like Staples, Office Depot was closed at ten P.M. on Saturdays. In sadness I slowly pulled out of their parking lot and back onto the main street, to head back home.
I realized, only a minute or so out, that on the way home I would have to drive past Target. Once again, curiousity and hopefullness drove me onward, so I gave it a try. You can surely guess what the outcome was, however I will nevertheless continue on. I once again, searched high and low in the pen aisle of Target, but to no avail, there were no white gel pens. They had the exact same selection as walmart. I left target with a two pack of silver Sharpies.
All in all, it wasn’t a bad night, just a rather pointless night. I lost an hour of my life, which I will never see or hear from again - however, I probably wouldn’t have accomplished anything more at home. Shall I ever find the white ink I am so yearning to find?
The world may never know…