pencils

i was brought up to think that pencils, or rather the writing made with pencils, is temporary.  pencil marks can be erased after all.  pencils are given to kids who are learning to write.  prone to making mistakes, they can easily correct with gum-smelling erasers.  pencils are used to make pictures in art class before you apply color, to outline edges before you cut, to define shadows before you paint.  they are used to draft formal themes before you take that ballpoint and do your neat handwriting.  pencilled drafts are a must before you take the tech pen and make your perspectives all over again.  my brother nearly flunked an exam once because he didn't 'finalize' his answers with a pen.  pencils pave the way for the more serious, more final, tools.

i was brought up to think that pencils cannot achieve finality.  that pencils are not impressive, since they are easy to erase.  and chew.

now comes grown-up 'art' and you see pencils again, but this time you unlearn how to use them.  you unlearn how to make temporary, erasable lines, you unlearn that a pencil mark must be covered with something more serious, more final.

and then you decide which tastes better, incense cedar or basswood?