Luxury pens, pressure cookers, President Stubb, and noticing joy (weekly wrap #009)
Hey,
Welcome to another weekly wrap-up of some cool things I’ve come across and some ponderings I’ve had over the last week.
Something I read that intrigued me
The Gentleman Stationer on buying expensive, luxury pens (and other items)
This is what the title suggests but it’s a really good read, both from the perspective of appreciating some good storytelling about something you might not have any interest in yourself, and also to see how you react to some of the tales of excess in a world you may not be very mindful of. I’ve owned some nice, fancy pens over the years (that I’ve since lost) and none of them were anywhere in the league of what some luxury pens play in. But it’s interesting to read this and observe my own judgements - and perhaps my relationship with things like money, self-worth and art too.
Something I’m watching
If you haven’t come across Vir Das, Indian comedian and actor, yet then you’re welcome. This is an old bit he did quite some time ago but he posted this clip on his channel on 2nd March, soon after the now-notorious White House spat. And I watched it again and oh boy, it hit different and it hit harder. And I’ve watched it a few times since.
And it’s hilarious. But more so, just damn poignant.
A new crush
Like I’ve said before, I try to keep abreast of world news without getting too drawn into details, but that’s been harder to do these last couple of weeks. Amidst all this, I discovered Finnish President Alexander Stubb, listen to him speak for the first time ever, and was super impressed.
I’ll admit, I’m not across the specifics of his politics or his policies within Finland, so am not qualified to comment on him as a politician or policy maker specifically. But as an orator, communicator and diplomatic leader, I’ve been very impressed. I even watched his TedX talk from several years ago!
If you want to check out what really made this new crush bloom though, this is the video I recommend you watch. Whatever your political opinions, the poise, dignity, clarity and conviction with which President Stubb answers questions in this interview is incredible.
And it really made me want to go for a sauna!
Something I’ve been pondering
I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that I was of course pondering - like so much of the rest of the world - our current state of geopolitics.
But on a fairly separate note, I’ve also been pondering a simple question.
“What gives me joy?”
I think joy is an elusive thing, often appearing in the most unexpected moments. It doesn’t seem to follow the patterns of effort and reward that so much of life is built upon.
It might emerge in the warmth of an old friend's laughter, in the quiet stillness of an early morning, or in the way light moves through the trees on an ordinary afternoon. There is no certainty in its arrival, only the possibility that it will find us when we are open to noticing.
So how does one open up to noticing more?
I think young children seem to experience it effortlessly, unburdened by the weight of expectation or the need for justification. As we grow older, there’s a tendency to filter out the small wonders, to believe that joy must be earned or tied to something significant.
But does joy require meaning, or does it exist simply for its own sake? And if that is so, then maybe the question is not how to seek it, but how to make space for it - to be present enough to recognise it before it passes.
What’s something that has brought you joy recently?
Thanks and have a great weekend!
Dev