Pens

 I hear better with a pen in my hand.

~ Alan Judd

- - - - -

I also hear better with a pen in my hand. That's why I take so many notes. It's not so much to go back to them later (although sometimes it is). It's more about retaining what is being said in the moment.

I used to get in trouble for doodling in school. However, I could focus more if I was doodling. Later in life a colleague called me out for writing during staff meetings. I did that because it helped me listen better as well as being a way for me to take down notes on what was important to me. 

I just looked up to see if there's a name for "people who take a lot of notes during meetings" (that's what I entered). The first thing that popped up was, "Why People Who Take Notes Are More Likely To"

Before I clicked on the link, a number of things rushed through my mind. More likely to...

Fail?

Struggle?

Be brilliant masterminds?

Be evil masterminds?

Be good at the game Mastermind?

Turns out the rest of the sentence was "Be good at the game Mastermind."

(pause)

Not really. It was "Why People Who Take Notes Are More Likely To Be Successful." I don't know if that is true or not. 

I just wish they would have left me alone with my doodling in elementary school.

Of course when I did my extensive research for this post, there was also a link to why taking notes is bad for your memory. I don't think that's why they told me to stop doodling. I think they just didn't "get me." 

That is a bit of a recurring theme in my life.

(Totally just doodled this in my journal so I could add it here.)