Apparently, I have raise a lot of eyebrows by saying I would prefer a fountain pen over an AppleWatch. Let me briefly explain why, as some who asked had a defibrillator in hand.

They write smooth!
I LOVE the way a fountain pen writes. Seriously, I would have worked harder on penmanship if I knew that a pen could be smooth, elegant and classy while writing. User experience matters (2 Jobs 1:9). The device is so simple, and profound with its understated elegance (Ives 3:16).

Brain science
I noticed a lack of mental sharpness in some areas and reflected back on where it was coming from. I went a year almost exclusively paperless. Nearing the end of the year I noticed a sharper drop. In researching possibilities, I found that the physical act of writing helps lodge things in your brain better than typing. I normally wrote out or sketched before using confusers in the past.

Nerdom
Sometimes being a nerd is being low tech. A fountain pen is to writing what a light saber is to battle: A civilized device of a more civil era. More seriously, it’s a fun hobby built on a technology that may be old but has the ability of tinkering for a better experience. (Ok, Jobs & Ives would hate that, but my computer building Lynux friends will like it.)

The bottom line:
I’m finding a pattern in life that a good “user experience” cannot be rushed. It takes time, sometimes is messy, takes more work, and endures longer. Fountain pens may not be the quickest tool for writing, but the user experience is fantastic. I’m liking things that help me to slow down and enjoy regular tasks instead of ‘quick to finish onto the next thing’ methods. To use a word from my wife: I’m learning to savor things more (chocolate chip cookies not withstanding. I’ll inhale those!)