08/05/2026
What if I told you that this pencil could teach you one of the most profound lessons about human life? Iβll prove it to you.
First, just know that there is nothing unique or different about this particular pencil. Itβs just a plain old, simple No. 2 wooden pencil - just like the ones we used in school.
Except thatβ¦ thereβs nothing plain or simple about it at all. Even though weβve all owned multiple of these exact pencils throughout our lives, and weβre all very familiar with them, this seemingly insignificant pencil's existence is a true miracle.
Yes, a miracle. Here's why.
Pencils are made of these four basic materials: wood, graphite, rubber, and aluminum.
Assuming that you had each of these materials right in front of you, do you think you could turn them into a pencil? Probably not. Itβs a lot harder than you think it is to create a pencil on your ownβ¦ even when you already have the materials you need.
Even something common and mundane, such as a pencil, cannot be created by just 1 person alone. It requires the cooperation of many, many people for it to exist.
Consider the wood. The wood used to craft this pencil is cedar wood from the Pacific Northwest. The tree that was cut down to create this pencil is one of the pencil's immediate "ancestors". But so is the logger who cut down that tree, and the tools that were used to do so. Ropes, saws, safety glasses, etc., and the people whose work is to create THOSE items. These are all considered ancestors of the pencil. This goes even further. Consider what was needed to bring the lumber to the mills and slat factories to produce the wooden slats. Roads, trucks, ships, and communication systems - as well as the individuals who maintain these - were all necessary for the production of the single slat of wood that would eventually turn into this pencil.
And yet... that is just the wood!
The "lead" is graphite, which is mined in many areas around the world. A graphite and clay combination must be properly baked at nearly 1,500 degrees Fahrenheit. (My oven doesn't get that hot.) Many people from different countries, cultures, and backgrounds must collaborate to produce the lead that goes into each pencil. They are also "ancestors" of this pencil.
This leaves us with the rubber and aluminum. The rubber used for the eraser requires ingredients from all around the world. Just like the wood and graphite that was used, the eraser and aluminum require the collaboration of millions of people across the globe.
But I haven't even mentioned the most interesting part of all of this yet.
The man who cut down the tree did not do so with the intention of creating this specific pencil. In the same way, the truck driver who delivered lumber to the slat factory did not have the intention of creating this specific pencil.
Yet somehow, for some reason, I have it right here in my hand... and it is only worth about 4 cents.
Do you see now why I call it a "miracle"?
The same perspective can be used to further appreciate the things we love about day-to-day life here in the St. Croix Valley. Consider all that is needed to produce all of the amazing food at Pier 500 (a Hudson favorite), as well as our buildings and our homes.
I know firsthand how much work goes into helping people buy and sell their homes. And there is so much more behind the scenes that happens for the materials and work needed to build the homes that I help sell.
We all play a specific part in creating a better society for others, even in ways we may not realize!
So, never take anything for granted. Not even a little pencil.
- Sarah
