Hand-written no more?
Posted on | September 20, 2009 | 9 Comments
“Young lady! We do not need to see handwriting that is that elaborate! That is a sign of too much ego. Now, make it plainer.” And the black-garbed nun turned her back and swished down the aisle between our rows of desks.
Back in the day (really dating myself here!), we all had lessons in handwriting in elementary school and some of us caught the ‘script bug’ more than others. I have always had handwriting that was like the track of a soaring bird — dips and swoops and elegant loops. But several of the nuns who taught me in high school would have preferred that I be less generous with the dippy-swoopy-loops so that I fit in like the proverbial peg. Twas never to be!
The sight of an envelope with my name and address hand-written still gives me a momentary tingle and I do adore postcards from friends as they travel overseas. But how rare those things have become in our tweeting, texting, emailing world — and I miss them.
An article online at MSNBC today states that Cursive writing is fading, but so what? According to the article, more students are expected to use keyboards each year and teachers would actually prefer that students just print the answers on a test so that they are guaranteed to be legible.
I feel a sense of sadness that this beautiful skill, something as basic as writing — not printing, is being phased out of school programs and that a mere handful of people in the future will have the inclination or skills to sign their names instead of print their names.
Embracing technology is one thing — but failing to save or savour some of the small joys in life, such as the sight of a finely hand-written note, seems to me to be quite short-sighted. I know — I sound positively ancient when I prattle on about such things to people who care little for anything other than the sound of fingers on a keyboard. But surely I am not alone in this minor sense of mourning. Tell me it is so!
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9 Responses to “Hand-written no more?”
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Deborah Harmes, Ph.D.
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September 20th, 2009 @ 8:39 AM
I absolutely agree. Handwriting is fast becoming a lost art. Correct spelling is going by the way side too. I love sending and receiving hand written letters, but that seldom happens.
People have little patience since the advent of email, etc. We want instant connections
Some day handwriting will be taught ala calligraphy today.
September 20th, 2009 @ 8:57 AM
Just read that article. It inspired me to send this message to my friends on Facebook & Twitter:
“Want to make a positive impression? Send a handwritten note AND use a fountain pen
”
If someone doesn’t believe this, they should try to remember the last time they received a handwritten note or letter. Did it have more of an impact than an email or even a signed typed letter? I think it did.
September 20th, 2009 @ 10:50 PM
Wow, Deborah. You’ve hit my hot buttons: handwritten snail mail and fountain pens. Each trip, I take a roll of stamps for postcards I buy on location to mail back home to people who have encouraged me along the way during my career as a travel writer.
And fountain pens? They’ve helped me get two jobs. During the interviews, I made notes in a Moleskine with my fountain pen. One time, the potential employer said, “Hey, I have a pen just like that!” Another time, the interviewer said, “I haven’t seen one of those since I was in grade school.”
Of course, it probably helped that I wrote snail mail thank-you notes with that same pen.
September 20th, 2009 @ 11:40 PM
Thank you for the lovely comments. And to share a bit more — I collect gorgeous stationary AND pens AND coloured inks. Oh wait, did I mention the wax seals to place that final flourish on the handwritten note. (grin!)
Glad the article resonated with you all!
September 21st, 2009 @ 12:24 AM
I also deplore the loss of the art of cursive writing…but I can tell you as a teacher, I’m a stickler for typed work, mostly because when I get handwritten work (like in-class test essays) it’s really difficult, sometimes downright impossible to read. We’re talking community college here, so it’s long past time to teach handwriting. That needs to be addressed in K-6. Lord help us if the computers ever stop working; most of the younger people in this country would be functionally illiterate at that point.
September 21st, 2009 @ 12:42 AM
I recently saw an article online that said banks in the USA are happier with direct deposits of paychecks instead of people standing in line at the teller and depositing a check because many customers can’t even endorse the back of the check with a proper signature.
Since I’ve never been a teacher, I can’t even imagine how hard it would be to try and decipher a student’s illegible scribbles — so I can certainly understand that point.
I do wish the schools WOULD re-institute penmanship training in early elementary school whether computers are the current and future wave or NOT. Writing is a life skill that should not be allowed to simply slip away and then be regretted later.
September 21st, 2009 @ 5:18 AM
Thanks for making us aware of this transition. My great-grandmother would sit her seven children down each day to practice handwriting. My grandfather did the same with my Dad and his brothers. It dropped in my generation but I always admired my relatives lovely script so I would strive to have nice handwriting as to all of my cousins.
My great-grandmother felt it would give her children an edge in the workplace. And, it did. Most all of my relatives on my Dad’s side are/were teachers or business owners.
I still send handwritten cards and notes for birthdays and holidays. I can’t bring myself to let it go.
I also send the occasional e-card to friends.
I find it interesting that we will transition to an electronic lifestyle with a limited source of oil to generate electricity. I don’t see much foresight in that trend.
Aloha, Anna
September 24th, 2009 @ 3:34 AM
Oh, yes, Deborah, you have indeed hit a nerve here. I recently started a Facebook Group called Revive the art of personal note-writing! (http://bit.ly/rJq9h)and am finding both kindred spirits as well as those who say essentially, “Things change, times change, get over it.” There are those, of course, who physically are unable to write, so I’ve tried to make the emphasis on communication with that other person, but I absolutely agree with all the comments made here and with the unique gift that you’re giving someone when you send them a handwritten note. Thanks for helping to keep this special craft alive!
September 24th, 2009 @ 6:15 AM
You are most welcome, Elizabeth. And thank you for the comments. Now I headed off to check out your Facebook group!