--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: She picked up the ballpoint pen lying on…" description: "\"“She picked up the ballpoint pen lying on the table, and played with it for a few seconds, but then she looked at the clock again. It had done its job:..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bec/haruki-murakami-21_ballpoint-pen_she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on_2729426.jpg" --- # She picked up the ballpoint pen lying on the table, and… ![“She picked up the ballpoint pen lying on the table, and played with it for a few seconds, but then she looked at the clock again. It had done its job: in the five minutes since her last look, it had advanced five minutes' worth.” quote by Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bec/haruki-murakami-21_ballpoint-pen_she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on_2729426.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bec/haruki-murakami-21_ballpoint-pen_she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on_2729426.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bec/haruki-murakami-21_ballpoint-pen_she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on_2729426.jpg) > ““She picked up the ballpoint pen lying on the table, and played with it for a few seconds, but then she looked at the clock again. It had done its job: in the five minutes since her last look, it had advanced five minutes' worth.”” [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A pen becomes a timer, showing how time passes unnoticed in routine. **In simple terms:** The pen shows minutes slip by while we’re distracted. Key Takeaway Be aware of time’s subtle flow. Themes time routine mindfulness literature observation Mood reflective quiet Type literary philosophical When to use this quote - writing practice - daily journaling - mindful breaks - productivity hacks Key Concepts temporal awareness everyday magic reflection Questions to Reflect On - How often do you lose track of time? - What simple actions can you use to stay present? A Different Perspective May cause anxiety about time. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet ## Related quotes > [I still draw a lot though. Ballpoint pen is my preferred medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-crook/i-still-draw-a-lot-though-ballpoint-pen-is-my-preferred-medium/) [Mackenzie Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-crook/) > [“I finally decide I'm just going to stab him a thousand times with a ballpoint pen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-finally-decide-i-m-just-going-to-stab-him-a-thousand-times-with-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“When I started writing I wanted the best tools. I skipped right over chisels on rocks, stylus on wet clay plates, quills and fountain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/when-i-started-writing-i-wanted-the-best-tools-i-skipped-right-over/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [“But why was the room suddenly becoming so dark? It was the middle of the afternoon. With a supreme effort Giuseppe Corte, who felt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dino-buzzati/but-why-was-the-room-suddenly-becoming-so-dark-it-was-the-middle-of/) Dino Buzzati > [“I looked at the clock with the faint unconscious hope common to all mothers that time will somehow have passed magically away and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shirley-jackson/i-looked-at-the-clock-with-the-faint-unconscious-hope-common-to-all/) [Shirley Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shirley-jackson/) > [I looked upon a clock to find the truth. The hours were passing like ivory chess figures, striking piano notes, and the minutes raced…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anais-nin/i-looked-upon-a-clock-to-find-the-truth-the-hours-were-passing-like/) [Anais Nin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anais-nin/) > [“During the heat of the space race in the 1960s, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration decided it needed a ballpoint pen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/during-the-heat-of-the-space-race-in-the-1960s-the-us-national/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) > [“Hey, you write with a ballpoint pen, and I write with a ballpoint pen ... Let’s make us the Blue Pen Club! It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-terras/hey-you-write-with-a-ballpoint-pen-and-i-write-with-a-ballpoint-pen/) [Melissa Terras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-terras/) > [“Mina penned the jubilant words into her blue spiral notebook with her favorite ballpoint pen. She faithfully used the same pen when writing all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-hahn/mina-penned-the-jubilant-words-into-her-blue-spiral-notebook-with-her/) [Chanda Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-hahn/) > [“ballpoint pens guaranteed right on them to write a lifetime on butter under water,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/ballpoint-pens-guaranteed-right-on-them-to-write-a-lifetime-on-butter/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Carrying a small notebook with you always, in your pocket or purse, along with a reliable ballpoint pen will enable you to jot down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-wyndham/carrying-a-small-notebook-with-you-always-in-your-pocket-or-purse/) Lee Wyndham > [The camera's a ballpoint pen, an imbecile; it's not worth anything if you don't have anything to say.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roberto-rossellini/the-camera-s-a-ballpoint-pen-an-imbecile-it-s-not-worth-anything-if/) [Roberto Rossellini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roberto-rossellini/) > [“Somewhere in the cosmos, he said, along with all the planets inhabited by humanoids, reptiloids, fishoids, walking treeoids and superintelligent shades of the color…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-adams/somewhere-in-the-cosmos-he-said-along-with-all-the-planets-inhabited/) [Douglas Adams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-adams/) ## More by Haruki Murakami > [I always feel like I'm struggling to become someone else. Like I'm trying to find a new place, grab hold of a new life,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/i-always-feel-like-i-m-struggling-to-become-someone-else-like-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If writing novels is like planting a forest, then writing short stories is more like planting a garden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-writing-novels-is-like-planting-a-forest-then-writing-short/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“The sad truth is that what I could recall in five seconds all too soon needed ten, then thirty, thena full minute...”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-sad-truth-is-that-what-i-could-recall-in-five-seconds-all-too/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Intelligent teenage girls were often instinctively theatrical, purposely eccentric, mouthing highly suggestive words to confuse people.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/intelligent-teenage-girls-were-often-instinctively-theatrical/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [Memory is like fiction; or else it's fiction that's like memory. This really came home to me once I started writing fiction, that memory…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/memory-is-like-fiction-or-else-it-s-fiction-that-s-like-memory-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [The most dangerous creature here would have to be me. So maybe I'm just scared of my own shadow.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/the-most-dangerous-creature-here-would-have-to-be-me-so-maybe-i-m/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [If you listen to the radio for a whole hour there's maybe one decent song. The rest is mass-produced garbage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/if-you-listen-to-the-radio-for-a-whole-hour-there-s-maybe-one-decent/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“that one of our problems was our inability to recognize and accept our own deformities”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/that-one-of-our-problems-was-our-inability-to-recognize-and-accept/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When I look back at myself at age twenty, what I remember most is being alone and lonely. I had no girlfriend to warm…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-i-look-back-at-myself-at-age-twenty-what-i-remember-most-is/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“There's not a branch of publishing or broadcasting that doesn't depend in some way on advertising. It'd be like an aquarium without water. Why,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/there-s-not-a-branch-of-publishing-or-broadcasting-that-doesn-t/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“One by one, I'll face the tasks before me and complete them as best I can. Focusing on each stride forward, but at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/one-by-one-i-ll-face-the-tasks-before-me-and-complete-them-as-best-i/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Eleven o'clock had come and gone. I had to find a way to bring this conversation to a successful conclusion and get out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/eleven-o-clock-had-come-and-gone-i-had-to-find-a-way-to-bring-this/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“Some people get a kick out of reading railway timetables and that's all they do all day. Some people make huge model boats out…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/some-people-get-a-kick-out-of-reading-railway-timetables-and-that-s/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“When the time comes, everybody’s got to end up where they belong. Only me, I didn’t have a place to call my own. It’s…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/when-the-time-comes-everybody-s-got-to-end-up-where-they-belong-only/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) > [“You let something out of the bag before yourself knew what it was all about”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/you-let-something-out-of-the-bag-before-yourself-knew-what-it-was-all/) [Haruki Murakami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) [Explore all 2,928 Haruki Murakami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/) ## More Ballpoint Pen quotes > [“Mina penned the jubilant words into her blue spiral notebook with her favorite ballpoint pen. She faithfully used the same pen when writing all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chanda-hahn/mina-penned-the-jubilant-words-into-her-blue-spiral-notebook-with-her/) [Chanda Hahn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chanda-hahn/) > [“I finally decide I'm just going to stab him a thousand times with a ballpoint pen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/i-finally-decide-i-m-just-going-to-stab-him-a-thousand-times-with-a/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [“Hey, you write with a ballpoint pen, and I write with a ballpoint pen ... Let’s make us the Blue Pen Club! It is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melissa-terras/hey-you-write-with-a-ballpoint-pen-and-i-write-with-a-ballpoint-pen/) [Melissa Terras](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melissa-terras/) > [“When I started writing I wanted the best tools. I skipped right over chisels on rocks, stylus on wet clay plates, quills and fountain…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-varley/when-i-started-writing-i-wanted-the-best-tools-i-skipped-right-over/) [John Varley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-varley/) > [I still draw a lot though. Ballpoint pen is my preferred medium.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mackenzie-crook/i-still-draw-a-lot-though-ballpoint-pen-is-my-preferred-medium/) [Mackenzie Crook](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mackenzie-crook/) > [“During the heat of the space race in the 1960s, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration decided it needed a ballpoint pen to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-degrasse-tyson/during-the-heat-of-the-space-race-in-the-1960s-the-us-national/) [Neil deGrasse Tyson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-degrasse-tyson/) Browse all 7 Ballpoint Pen quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“She picked up the ballpoint pen lying on the table, and played with it for a few seconds, but then she looked at the clock again. It had done its job: in the five minutes since her last look, it had advanced five minutes' worth.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Haruki Murakami" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on-the-table-and-played-with-it/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ballpoint Pen" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on-the-table-and-played-with-it/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bec/haruki-murakami-21_ballpoint-pen_she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on_2729426.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bec/haruki-murakami-21_ballpoint-pen_she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on_2729426.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/bec/haruki-murakami-21_ballpoint-pen_she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on_2729426.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“She picked up the ballpoint pen lying on the table, and played with it for a few seconds, but then she…” — Haruki Murakami", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Haruki Murakami", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haruki-murakami/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“She picked up the ballpoint pen...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on-the-table-and-played-with-it/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haruki-murakami/she-picked-up-the-ballpoint-pen-lying-on-the-table-and-played-with-it/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```