The Journey of a Ten-Peso Pen

In an era where laptops and tablets are used almost every minute, something as simple and ordinary as a ballpen can be easily overlooked. Especially those ten-peso ballpens with transparent caps—sometimes so inky they seep through the pages of your notes—are often ignored. You buy one from a sari-sari store near school, toss it into your bag or shove it into your pocket, and move on with your day. But sometimes, the smallest things carry the biggest stories.

A ballpen’s journey starts in a humble sari-sari store, bought by a student—probably a freshman—along with a sachet of 3-in-1 coffee, nervous about the first day of college life. It writes her name on a 1/4 index card, plots her schedule for the semester, jots down notes in her first major class, and even doodles stickmen at the back of her notebook. It creates to-do lists that were probably never accomplished, and it writes answers that lay the foundation for her dreams.

It witnesses how that freshman navigates the waters of university life as she adapts to the hectic, demanding schedule. The ballpen becomes a silent witness to how she signs up for student organizations, scribbles notes during org meetings after being appointed secretary, and clutches it tightly during nerve-wracking recitations in her majors—when she feels like she might faint from pressure.

The ballpen goes from one class to another. It fills out attendance forms, writes essays and exam answers, pens unsent confessions at the back of her notebook, and composes stories and articles when her heart and mind are too full to keep it all in. It stays with her through the quiet afternoons, sleepless nights, and bursts of inspiration. It sees her grow—not just as a student, but as a person.

And then, like all things, the pen reaches its end. It runs out of ink mid-sentence. Or maybe it gets left behind, forgotten at the bottom of someone else’s bag, buried beneath crumpled essays and candy wrappers. Or maybe, before it disappears, it writes one last victorious line: “Third year na ako!”[1.1]

We do not always think deeply about them, but pens become our quiet companions in college. Amidst all the gadgets and digital tools, nothing quite beats the comfort of traditional pen and paper. They’re always there during our lowest points—when exams pile up and motivation feels out of reach; during the ordinary days of endless lectures; and during the high points—when our hard work finally pays off.

They are with us during the rush of deadlines, the chaos of procrastination, the random classroom jamming sessions where they keep beat on armchairs, and even in the silent moments where holding them feels like holding a lifeline. They bear witness to our challenges, our growth, our laughter, tears, and even those kilig moments we write about but never send.

For just ten pesos, a ballpen holds a lifetime’s worth of memories—not just of college, but of life.

So next time you buy a pen, make the most memories with it. And if you borrow one, remember: it might carry dreams, heartbreaks, notes from long lectures, or even the beginning of someone’s story. It may be small, simple, and even mundane—but it leaves a mark far beyond the pages.