My Pen

I just passed my Abitur, the diploma you get for finishing the Gymnasium. I guess it´s kind of the same or atleast an equivalent to highschool. More or less a pretty big deal, so to say.

While preapring for the finals, my father recieved an advertising gift at work. It came from Lamy, a producer of quality office products. The present contained a drop action pencil and a pen. My dad forgot the pen at work, and only brought home the pencil. He wanted to give it to me in order to use it in my finals. I said I didn´t have any use for it, the pen was to fragile. So my dad jokingly said, if I got a final grade of 1,3 (which is like very good and seem nearly unreachable at that time), he would gift me the missing pen, something I realistically would use. Neither of us expected me to reach that goal, so it was more or less a joke for a short time.

About two months later I was through my finals and about to get my final grades. The teacher handing me out the certificate asked what I was hoping for. 1,6, I said. He smiled. When I looked at the paper I first couldn´t believe it. I knew I did alright in the finals, but I actually did really, really well. In fact, I did so well I achieved a grade of 1,3! 

I seldom was so happy. It took me a while to realise, but when I got home and told my mother I got fully excited. I immediately called my dad at work. He was just as baffeld as I had been soon before. 

I don´t think, he showed that much emotions in front of me ever before that. I could definitely tell how proud he was. I reminded him of the pen. My dad laughed, saying he couldn´t give me any guarantee that he would find it. But when he came home that evening he actually brought the freaking pen with him. But not only that. My dad, as awesome as he is, offered to print something on it. With lasers! He said, he could arrange it so that he would be able to use the technology at his workplace to do so. I was hyped. I´m 18 years old now, but my dad writing something on my well-deserved pen with lasers was just way to cool! I told him to write "42" onto it. 42 is my favourite number and also my motto in life (maybe I´ll write something about it later. Pretty sure, actually :D ), so it fit perfectly. 

Today I recieved the finished pen. With the laser-written 42 on it!

And...it´s beautiful. I love it! Thanks so much, Dad!

Other people get a lot of money, a smartphone or even a car for doing well in their finals. I got a pen, and i couldn´t be happier about it. One of the best presents I ever recieved!

My awesome pen!