Inspirational Promotional Pens

Everyone has known what it feels like to be uncertain of their future or what it holds for them.  This feeling is no where more evident than when a youth is in the throws of adolescence and wondering what they would like to be “when they grow up”.  Middle schools and high school nationwide hold thousands of kids who harbor fears about making the wrong choices regarding their futures and some not having a clue as to what it will bring for them.  This narrative tells the story of how one small promotional pen was the anchor that turned a boy’s life into what he dreamed about.

Jim Baker was an ordinary kid growing up in a middle class family with two sisters a mother, father and family dog.  Life was nearly perfect for Jim until he arrived in 8th grade.  That year there was lots of talk about the future and which jobs and college majors everyone would be choosing towards their life’s’ occupation.  This held excitement for most, but it made Jim feel anxious as he had never really thought about what he wanted to do with his life as an adult.  Sheesh!  He was only 14!

It was a career day that turned all of this around for Jim.  It happened during his freshman year of high school.  Bus loads of students were taken to the city’s huge convention center where there were booths set up and staffed by eager people explaining why their field would be a great career for any student to consider.  Jim was getting that nervous feeling in the pit of his stomach again.  Here it was again- the agony of not knowing what his future would hold and the inability to choose a path.  As he was walking down one of the aisles, a particular booth caught his eye.  It was the United States Air Force.  A large red, white and blue flag was draped across the back wall of the booth and two crisp looking men dressed in impeccable air force uniforms were standing behind the counter.

Jim walked up to the booth and began reading a brochure.  The men were friendly and explained to Jim what being in the U.S. Air Force was like.  Jim listened and when he walked away, one of the men handed him one of his promotional pens inscribed with the U.S. Air Force logo and name.

When Jim got home that afternoon, he had a bag of the information he had gathered at the career center that day.  As he went through it all, the one thing that made the nervous feeling in his stomach subside was the Air Force pen.  Looking at that pen gave Jim a sense of calm that he had never felt before.  He placed the pen on a shelf in his room where it was visible from his desk.

Throughout high school, Jim never took the Air Force pen and put it away.  He left it on the shelf and from time to time would wonder about why it meant so much to him.  When he was a senior and all his friends were deciding what to do after they graduated, it finally dawned on Jim what he would do.  He wanted to join the Unite States Air Force more than anything else in the world!  The promotional printed pens that had been sitting in his room the last three and one half years was quietly nudging him to make the choice that would best suit him.  Jim felt whole and complete.  He was sure he was making the right decision for him and the sense of relief was joyous.  The day after graduation, Jim took down the promotional pen from its perch and dialed the number inscripted on the casing.