The Weight of Lead Evie Andrews ’23
I peered cautiously at the strange utensil before poking it and picking it up with two fingers. I knew what it was … sort of. We’ve all read about them and seen old films and movies where people use them, but it never occurred to me that I would see one in person. I knew you were supposed to hold it like a fork, with your fingers closer to the pointy end. I turned around, and he gave me an encouraging nod. I knew what I was supposed to do, but I wasn’t fully sure how to start. Slowly, with big, nearly illegible letters, I wrote three words. I love grandpa. I realized I had forgotten a period, but I was stunned to see that nothing told me to add one. No red underline popped up. No vibration alerted me to my mistake. Grandpa laughed and said, “It’s paper, not a computer. You can write or draw whatever you want on it.” Draw? I wondered for a moment at the page. Finally, having made a decision, I etched out a small heart.
The right side was much larger than the left. Next to that one, I tried again. This time my lines were a little straighter, but that damn right side was still too big. “Here, try using light strokes,” Grandpa offered. “I’ll try it,” I sighed. This was turning out more cumbersome than I thought it would be. In my frustration, I pushed the pencil forcefully against the paper, and there was a loud crunch as the tip snapped and fell to the ground. I started to panic. “Grandpa, I broke it! I’m so sorry!” To my surprise, he let out a hearty chuckle. He took the splintered pencil, and saying, “Watch this,” he walked over to an odd, oval-shaped mechanism. He turned a dial on the side until he found the hole big enough to suit his purpose. I surveyed him closely as he slipped the pencil into the hole and began turning the handle on the opposite side. “Did you know,” he said as he turned it, “when I was your age, we used pens and pencils for just about everything?” I felt my eyes opening wider, giving away my surprise. “In fact, I didn’t use a computer at all in
continued next page
The Publication of the Arts
27
