I Couldn’t Resist

There have been many times I have heard the tempting whisper when out shopping.

I resist (a futile effort) because I already have plenty at home, and buying more will only worsen my hoarding tendencies. No, I’m not talking about chocolate, although I do have that temptation as well.

Yet, somehow, with all of my (nonexistent) willpower, I always end up in the stationery aisles.

My eyes light up at a good deal for pencils, I recall that I have a physical coupon for highlighters, and I even have a digital coupon for those pens over there. I can’t not buy them. After all, they are such a good deal, and if I don’t use them, I can bring them to school and my students can use them! (The students have become such a convenient excuse for why I should purchase loads more writing utensils in the last few years.)

After I tear myself out of the writing utensil aisle, I turn the corner and enter the vortex that is the paper and notebook aisle. I just somehow get sucked in every single time.

Ooh, Moleskines! And sketchbooks, too. There’s a pretty cover on this one, I like the quote on that one, and I think this one would be excellent for morning journaling. And this one with graph paper would be great for practicing my (crappy) handwriting!

Wait, this one’s wide ruled… What about this one? Excellent! It’s so hard to find good college ruled journals, so I absolutely need to get it. And that one for morning journaling.

Hmm… If I get the pretty one for so-and-so’s Christmas present, and then find something better, I can keep the notebook for me! Sweet, I’m getting it.

I (finally) walk out of the stationery aisles satisfied (for now), but I know my heart whispers “I’ll be back for you” to several dozen pens and journals as I leave.

This is how I have come to have 22 journals and some untold number of writing utensils (This does NOT include my sketchbooks, completely used notebooks/journals, or my art markers and colored pencils). Let’s just say Kondo Marie would not be impressed.