My writing instruments

Let's talk highlighters.

Generally speaking, I'm highly opposed. I only use a highlighter for two specific purposes: marking off patients who we've seen in a day and checking off insurance payments I've entered into the system. And not just any highlighter will do. If I were to use anything other than pink on my schedule, I'm pretty sure great misfortune would reign down upon me. This morning, I had to exchange my green highlighter for another green highlighter because it was too yellowish (under no circumstance do I use a yellow highlighter). Who could work under such conditions?

Sharpies, on the other hand, are brilliant. You don't need reasons why, they just are.

I'm also a big fan of the pencil. Call me old school, but there's nothing like the feel of wood-encased graphite between my fingers. Maybe it's a sign of underlying commitment issues or something, but whenever possible I use the pencil. And I'm not talking those fancy-schmancy refill kind of pencils. It has to be old fashioned, pull the suction-cup-crank-style pencil sharpener out, pencil. The calendar has to be written in pencil. School notes have to be in pencil. And you should only have two-to-three pencils in rotation at a time. Use them until they're nubbies and then retire them in some sort of decorative glass encased shrine to salute all the hard work they've done for you. It's just the right thing to do.

I'm neurotic today because....
....I cannot function without the proper writing instrument.