Dear Humans,

Yesterday we watched a video about the long, complex process of making pencils. Who knew it entailed so much? The cutting, grooving, mixing, sanding, painting, and finishing. There’s even a specialized  machine that pinches the ferrule (the metal part) snug to the pink eraser.

And to think that some of you just shove such specially crafted items deep into the bowels of your desk.

If we let ourselves see all of the care, ingenuity, and resources that are poured into the simplest things in our world–such as the simple pencil–we feel more alive. So next time you hold a pencil in your hand, take a second to think about the guy who invented the machine that pinches the ferrule around the pink eraser.

Sincerely,

Mr. Curt