ESSAY WRITING
Recently I wrote a post on taking on the challenge of writing a high school essay in an hour - and doing it in my own handwriting. It made me realize how little I actually write with a pen these days. The writing I still do in a journal or a shopping list is a glorified printing really - not the flowing cursive writing of my school days. I managed to resurrect it for the essay but it felt strange when I first started - although I think it was faster and neater than if I'd tried to print. |
| An extract of my essay - and handwriting |
HAVE WE LOST THE ART?
Sometimes I wonder if handwriting will become a lost art - will it will be to future generations what calligraphy is to us now? Readable and understandable, but time consuming and not worth the effort when it's so much easier to type. When you see how fast the next generation types on their phones, it makes picking up a pen seem antiquated already.Does the latest generation jot notes to each other? Do they handwrite their shopping lists? Will they be using Stick-It notes to leave themselves reminders? What about thank you notes - remember those? I know that birthday cards are becoming a thing of the past - you can just wish someone Happy Birthday on Facebook - or send them a text. My family still sends Birthday cards - but they do it for me because they know I like receiving them - my daughter still tells me that she thinks it's strange.
CHRISTMAS CARDS
And Christmas cards are almost non-existent - I think we received half a dozen last year - remember the days when you hung them on a string and and then added another stringful and then another? We used to get dozens of cards from friends from all over the place - complete with the obligatory Family Newsletter that was tucked inside the ones that came from friends you didn't see very often.
NOTE TAKING
I remember getting writer's cramp taking notes in lectures, and then summarizing textbooks, and then writing exams - will that all be a thing of the past soon too? Taking Minutes in meetings - all done on a notepad and typed up at home later - now it's done on the spot on a laptop or IPad. No more doodling in the margins when somebody waffles on too long in the meeting.
DIARIES AND DAUGHTERS
Will teenage girls write in their diaries in years to come? All those glittery gel pens and pretty stickers and sparkly notebooks - will they all fade away and be forgotten? It makes me a little bit sad to think that there'll be no diary filled with crushes on boys and deep thoughts to hide from curious parents - just a password coded tablet or phone - it's just not the same is it?
LOVE LETTERS
What about love letters? I remember getting love letters from my husband in our dating days and how much we looked forward to writing them and receiving them. Phone calls were so expensive and we were living a few hours apart, so those letters were really special - now you can talk and text to your heart's content without it breaking the bank. But is it as romantic?
PENPALS
Will there be penpals? I looked online for a penpal site the other day - it all seems to be done by email. Why waste the time putting it in writing, and then paying postage, and then waiting for the other person to receive it - email is so much quicker and more efficient - just a little bit clinical though. I had a Japanese penpal named Misugi when I was in school - we'd write on really thin airmail paper and tuck little mementoes inside the envelopes - I still have some of those today - there aren't any keepsakes with email.WHAT ABOUT YOU?
Do you still handwrite? Do you journal on paper when you get the chance? Is your shopping list written? Do you still have a paper calendar? (I do - it's inside my pantry door and I can't imagine life without it!) Do you miss getting Birthday and Christmas cards?
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I'm a big fan of handwriting. I still write in cursive as my default. I remember when I was in my 20's, not long after my mom passed away, I received a letter in the mail. It stopped me in my tracks, because it was my mother's cursive handwriting. For the briefest moment, I felt a twinge of hope, as if my mother's death was a mistake and she was still here. After that passed, I realized that the letter was actually a self-addressed envelope I had sent off in the mail for some documents. The handwriting was mine! It was not until that day I realized how similar our writing was, and how it was also almost identical to my maternal grandmother's. Sadly, my own daughter does not write in cursive. I do think it is lost to this generation.
ReplyDeleteIf you are interested in having an overseas pen pal, let me know. I, too, remember those day (long ago!) when I received paper thin letters from a pen pal in Australia. This was back before the internet and email. It would take 1-2 weeks for the letters to arrive. I would go home each day and eagerly check the mail to see if it had arrived. :)
My mum has beautiful handwriting Kristin - I think mine is a little less swirly than hers, it must be lovely to think that there is a heritage passing down through the women in your family. And the funny thing about you mentioning penpals, is that I have a bit of a yen to write letters again (my grandmother and I wrote to each other for years). So maybe we should look into the idea of corresponding?
DeleteI have not written a letter (other than a business letter or a communication with a bank or a government agency) since..drum roll, 2003. I remember that year well because my aunt, who never did like to communicate via email, passed away. We wrote letters to each other until the very end. I still send birthday and holiday cards. I also take notes at work when attending webinars. Meantime, my son, who is in his late 20's, never learned cursive. He can't even sign his name - he doesn't know how to read cursive, either! That amazed me, but many United States schools don't teach cursive anymore. These children growing up will not be able to read a lot of historical documents (of course they wouldn't be able to read their parents' love letters either, lol). Anyway, at age 65, I do mourn the art of letter writing - I've written hundreds of letters and notes throughout my life - just none after 2003. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com
ReplyDeleteI wrote to my grandmother for years Alana and loved our chatty letters about nothing in particular - just what we'd been doing during our week. I miss her and I miss that little ritual now that it's long gone. It's a little bit scary to think that people will never write letters or cards or notes in the years to come - it makes me a little bit sad too.
DeleteSince I started typing my manuscripts directly onto the computer instead of writing them out long hand I've noticed my handwriting has become a mess. It's like I've forgotten how to write! I journal every day but even this doesn't seem to help.
ReplyDeleteI do more of a print/writing style when I journal Shelley. That essay I wrote was the first time I'd written anything in cursive for a long time. It felt good resurecting that skill and I really want to start writing like that more often. I'm definitely going to have to look into letter writing or something!
DeleteI'm actually taking a course at the moment about how to write beautiful and engaging letters... including making artful envelopes to go with them. I'm enjoying it, and its creator very much.... such a lovely, peaceful, simple course to be a part of!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like a really lovely course Linda - something that I haven't heard of before, but I think I'd enjoy it too. You'll have to do a post on it and showcase some of what you make - I bet they're beautiful!
DeleteIt is lovely! It's by a lady called Naomi over at www.naomiloves.com and it's called 'The Most Beautiful Letter You Have Ever Written'. She makes the most lovely mail art! Great idea about a post on it.... I hadn't thought of that! (:
DeleteI visited her site (and yours) they're both beautiful and I can tell you're both creative souls - I always have a little bit of envy in my heart of those who so effortlessly create beauty - I have to work much harder at it!
DeleteHi Leanne,
ReplyDeleteI'm an office supplies nut! I love beautiful paper, especially journals and notebooks of all kinds, so yes, I do still write by hand when I'm journalling. And I sometimes make research notes on yellow pads of ruled paper although that's usually because I'm tired of being at the computer and I end up retyping those notes into my computer later. I don't think I could live - I certainly couldn't thrive - without post it notes of all shapes and sizes. And I love sending and receiving cards in the mail, although have to admit to lately being quite resentful of the price of printed cards - $8 Canadian. Seriously?
I'd love to say that with all of the writing I do by hand, I have a gorgeous cursive. Unfortunately, nothing could be further from the truth. I blame it all on being left-handed - my story and I'm sticking to it. None of my teachers in school were left-handed so no one was ever able to really help me with letter formation. That and a tendency to write small means that n's and r's look the same, as do a's and o's. There are lots of times lately when I have trouble reading my own writing, so although I'll keep handwriting my journals I'm starting to go back and type them into my computer. It would be awful some years down the road to want to look back at all of those journals and not be able to read anything I've written.
Cards in Australia have gone in the other direction Karen - there are some lovely ones available for $1 each and now there seems to be less and less people to send them to! It's the standard "it's xxxxx's birthday today" on FB that we respond to and the card is a thing of the past.
DeleteOur daughter is left handed and she would feel your pain - she always comments on how her writing smudges because her hand is always on top of what's freshly written. She does a lot of writing when she's marking her students' assignments but we seem to write less and less as we get older.
I think I'm going to challenge myself to handwrite in cursive more often so I don't feel so strange doing it - that essay I wrote showed me how little I use that style now days.
This is a question I sometimes think on. It is a shame the art of penmanship is fading - spelling and grammar with it. I keep a written diary with all my to-do’s. It’s nice to jot things down by hand.
ReplyDeleteI use a journal too - but my handwriting in that is different to the cursive I used all the way through school - it's more of a printing/writing style for some reason, and I use it for lists etc. I'm aiming on finding something to write in cursive more often so I don't lose the ability!
DeleteOwing to having building work being done in the room we use as an office I couldn't access a printer so I wrote a letter in handwriting and it felt really strange. Funnily enough when I write poetry I literally write with a pen as typing it doesn't feel right.
ReplyDeleteI found the same thing when we wrote our essays Dorothy - I hadn't realized how little I write in that flowing script these days. I think it's a shame that it's becoming a dying art and I do wonder how much the kids of today will use a pen as adults.
DeleteI like Birthday cards and Christmas cards too. Yes I am pleased with an electronic one but it feels like the bar has been lowered. Actually went to a wedding where the couple wrote their vows and the groom took out his phone to read. I initially thought there was a medical emergency and he was calling for help!
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was updating his FB status Haralee? :) Everything is done on phones or tablets or laptops these days - I love how fast it is, but we've definitely lost something in the process haven't we?
DeleteI still handwrite (cursive) in my journal, handwrite shopping lists, and also use a notepad for meeting notes - my toughts organise themselves better when spread across a page in ink. These days I only do Christmas cards to parents and older relatives & yes, I miss them too.
ReplyDeleteI handwrite in my journal too Jo but I notice I don't write in the same style as when I wrote that essay - I actually miss writing in the more flowing cursive style and I think I'm going to try to get back into practice with it before it's lost forever. I need to write more cards and letters!
DeleteI am often complimented on my handwriting. I am asked to write in birthday cards for club members and strangers say they love my writing when they are the recipients of a cheque (yes, I am guilty of still using those antiquated methods of bill payment).
ReplyDeleteI think I will go to my grave with my fancy handwriting and humorous remarks as my only legacy.
Yes, you do have beautiful handwriting (it's on our wedding certificate!) Mine's not bad, but doesn't measure up to yours and I don't write cheques or many cards these days so I'm getting out of practice with it.
DeleteApologies if this becomes a long comment. I do write. I'm working on a book and sometimes I take a notebook up to the terrace and write in pen before entering that bit into the computer. Until we moved overseas, I sent Christmas letters and cards every year - of course, I didn't hand write those but printed them en masse. I also have a few friends who do not use facebook, so I wrote letters to those 3 people about 2 or 3 times a year. Not so much now that I'm in a new foreign place and have to figure out the mail system.
ReplyDeleteMy husband and I never exchanged letters - although our initial romance began online, so there was a lot of writing. However, during our first year of dating, he filled a blank journal with thoughts about us and things we did and our potential future.
Now that so many kids aren't learning cursive in school, I love the idea that our generation has a "secret code" we can write in to keep information private! That, and, living in Asia, most people who learn English don't learn cursive, so it's a code here, too!
Now I feel like a secret agent Red - if there's another war they won't need an enigma machine - they can just get a whole pile of Midlife women together and get them to write letters to each other with instructions on who to bomb :)
DeleteI know that there is concern about handwriting diminishing as we take over everything on-line. However, HSC exams still have to be hand-written and many students who 'stopped handwriting' years ago literally need lessons for them to be able to complete their exams. Handwriting is still taught to children in schools but there are fewer formal lessons. In my days as a teacher there was one every day. I am a left-hander and my writing has been criticised all my life. I tried to do it as I was taught but I was taught to do it with the same slope as a right-hander. By the time I got to high school I did everything backward sloping...and often unintelligible. As a teacher though I literally HAD to learn to hand write ON THE BOARD with my right hand before I could graduate. Lucky I have some mixed dominance. Mostly now I do a mix of forward sloped printing & not a lot as my hands are very sort with arthritis.
ReplyDeleteGreat topic!
Thank you for linking up for #lifethisweek. Next week's optional prompt is "If I Could" Denyse x
It was the WA version of the HSC that we wrote our essays for last month Denyse - we had to handwrite because that's what the students have to do. I imagine it was a lot easier for me than it was for a lot of them (and mine was probably more legible than a lot of theirs were!)
DeleteOur daughter is a leftie and she writes quite neatly - but complains that she smudges her writing because her hand always rests on what's been freshly written - and spiral binders are a pain for her too because they're on the side she writes with.
I have mixed feelings about handwriting.
ReplyDeleteOn the one hand - it was the pits when I was working as an OT in a hospital and had to decipher other people's notes about patients. Especially doctors. They don't know how to form letters properly (ironic considering their other skills). When all patient notes are eventually digitalised in Australian hospitals, it will be a great day and save a heck of a lot of time!
On the other - it is so much more personal, and I do have fond memories of writings letters to my friends (one in particular) in high school. We would draw pictures and include little momentos as well, and fold them into various interesting shapes. You can't do those things with an email, as you said! I still have a shoe box full of letters that I just can't bear to throw away, although I will probably never read them all again!
So I hope it doesn't become a lost art entirely, but I'm not sure that it won't... I guess we will see! xox
I know what you mean about doctors' handwriting! The surgeon I work for writes in chicken scratches and if he's requesting an op I haven't heard of on a body part I've never heard of, I'm in and out of his office to check spelling etc (I can now spell Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy without a blink!)
DeleteI miss the romance of handwriting more than anything - all the girly stuff of writing letters and the romance of receiving them is getting lost with emails (IMHO)
I love handwriting and I love writing using a fountain pen when I do write (at home only, not at work). I also love giving and getting handwritten cards. I still send out Christmas cards and I also send out a one-pager newsletter tucked within. My kids aren't doing this, so I guess it dies with me. :-(
ReplyDeleteMy kids just don't "get" the idea of cards - my daughter particularly. They give me one because they know it makes me happy, but I think it's such a shame that they don't see the joy that heartfelt words in a card bring. I've almost completely given up on Christmas cards - I'm down to less than a dozen these days - I find that a little sad too.
DeleteHi Leanne, my handwriting has really deteriorated because I type on the computer all the time. I think it is so sad that we are losing the art of handwriting and the personal touches of Christmas cards and even notes to self. I have an envelope that my mum had listed all of the songs she sang each time she had her chemotherapy session. I also have a letter, my grandmother wrote to my Mum, when she was in hospital having my brother. I love looking at their handwriting and it brings them closer to me. I also have love letters from Mike in the early days with I treasure. Maybe we need to start a movement to bring back handwriting. Thanks for co-hosting #MLSTL with me, my friend. We make a fabulous team :)
ReplyDeleteI'm the same Sue - my handwriting has deteriorated with time - I guess my writing muscles are atrophying while my typing muscles get stronger. I love that you have those memories of your mother and grandmother - I was also thinking today about autograph books - I still have mine from childhood and there are so many people in there who are all individual because of their various writing styles - you don't get that with a typed note! And Yes we are fabulous indeed!
DeleteI still carry a notebook around with me for my to-do lists and notes about projects I have going on. I confess the handwriting is as you said glorified printing--or a strange combination of print and cursive. I handwrite shopping lists as well and the occasional sticky note to my husband. I also keep a sentence-a-day journal that is handwritten in true cursive. I rarely send a handwritten card anymore. When I do send cards, most of them are through Send Out Cards, so the recipient receives a hard-copy card in the mail, but it's not my original handwriting. I love the convenience of texting and other electronic communications, but there is something to be said for a handwritten letter. I commit to send at least one before the summer is out. Thanks for the inspiration, Leanne.
ReplyDeleteI miss those handwritten letters too Christie - I think that a handwritten card or note is just that little bit more personal isn't it? I jot notes and lists etc but it's not the same as writing something out on lovely paper. I thought about writing to our kids but they'd just scoff - so now I need to find a happy recipient before I challenge myself to start writing letters!
DeleteYup! I still have a paper calendar and I write out my shopping list. I just can't get used to using my phone for that. I've been creating my own birthday cards, just for family, so I love writing a special note on them. Did the same with Christmas for a small number of people. Your handwriting is very nice Leanne! I save a few handwritten letters over the years and I'm glad I did. #MLSTL Sharing on social media.
ReplyDeletewww.meinthemiddlewrites.com
I'm glad I'm not the only one who doesn't have their calendar and shopping list on their phone Mary Lou! I still write in cards to family but I've noticed that I don't with friends any more - it's all on Facebook - we've definitely lost something special IMHO.
DeleteDespite the convenience and speed of digital automation, I absolutely do miss beautiful handwriting, cards and notes! I use my handwriting as much as possible and have notes drafted on graphology, and will write a different type of post about it soon. It is a developmental and cognitive function skill to use your handwriting, good for the very young and very old to keep the brain operating well. I have always dreamed of teaching a handwriting and etiquette/social graces class with our public school system as an elective, I think it is necessary to keep in the back of your mind whether you choose to use it or not. I learned all of this at home and then in my business classes in high school as well as proper table manners for a business meeting, etc. Thank you notes and personal notes are a standout, and I think are still a nice touch whether for friends or business associates. I do not see it as stuffy but as an added element of style represented in the individual. Loved the post, thank you Leanne! :D
ReplyDeleteLori Jo - 50 With Flair
www.50withflair.com
I'd love to see you teaching that class Lori Jo - could you PLEASE also teach them the correct way to hold a knife and fork? I see so many people on TV and eating out who use their fork as a shovel and hold their knife like scalpel - did their parents not tell them? I guess it comes from families not eating meals at the table together?
DeleteI'd love to see more young people take up note writing and card giving but I doubt they will - it is going to become a completely lost art in another generation. I know the postal system is suffering here in Australia as more and more communication is done online. It's a little bit sad isn't it?
Hi Leanne - I still write (cursive) letters, cards, shopping list, and carry a small Moleskin notebook, pen and pencil with me when I travel. I've had pen friends going back for many years, and we're still writing to each other. I just met one of them again when I was in Estonia in May. I enjoy the art of handwriting and definitely the personal touch that goes with it. I'd encourage you to resume handwriting :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for that Natalie - it's nice to see that someone is still waving the banner for writing things in cursiv. I'm definitely going to start using it again. I'm about to finish the journal I currently write in (the print/writing style), so maybe when I start the new one that's waiting for me I'll do it in cursive - definitely a plan!
DeleteI have to say I'm a bit of a mixed bag Leanne. I've tried digital shopping lists but always end up resorting to writing on the magnetic shopping list on the fridge. I gave up paper calendars and work diaries in favour of my combined digital one a long time ago though. Our client files at work are all digital these days too, which I much prefer.
ReplyDeleteBeing at a conference this week has been interesting. I brought the iPad thinking that would be the quicker way to jot down great ideas, but after one day I've ditched it in favour of my spiral bind notebook and a faithful blue Bic pen!! Not sure how I'm going to get the notes into digital format for sharing with colleagues when I get back though........
I do keep certain cards, letters and notes in my "sentimental" box and, like you, I had a penfriend (Swedish) and wrote (very embarrassing things) in a pink Holly Hobbie diary in my teenage years. It had a tiny little lock on the front with an even tinier key (that I still have) that would never have withstood a curious teenage brother but thankfully they had the sense not to even go there!!!
And in defence of doctors, my dad has always had the most beautiful script, extremely legible but with decorative flourishes!! But I realise he's probably the exception rather than the rule. He still sends me hand-written letters occasionally and they are a joy to read :)
I have a magnetic board on my fridge for shopping items too Sue - then I write them on a pad page in aisle order - it makes my shopping a lot faster and no doubling back. My calendar these days is fairly sparse, so it fits quite nicely onto a monthly one on the back of our pantry door. I still journal with pen and paper and write cards to the family - but letter writing has definitely fallen by the wayside - I miss that a lot.
DeleteI also had a little pink diary with the lock and key - completely useless for security but it was the only thing I had a lock for so I guess it felt important because of that!
And your dad would be in the 1% of doctors with legible handwriting. The surgeon I work for has chicken scratchings and I often have to ask him what a certain medical term is that he's scrawled (I know all the dental ones, but surgical is still fairly new for me!)
Yes, I still hand write many things. I LOVE my paper calendar. The loss of handwriting is sad to me. I worked as a Transfer Coordinator for a large hospital a while back, we hand wrote the details of the calls and then added them to the computer. I had a supervisor who thought this was ridiculous and removed all paper from the unit! She insisted that we had to type it, and writing it was a waste. I was furious, and insisted that she sit with me for a shift and try to do my job without paper. The next day we were allowed paper again.
ReplyDeleteI have a notepad next to the phone at work for jotting names and phone numbers etc on Cherie - I'd be lost without it! Maybe younger people jot it on an IPad or something because I'm sure their memories are worse than ours - they don't have to think anymore - they can just google or save it somewhere on their smart phones! They all have double jointed thumbs for texting but their handwriting is definitely on the way out.
DeleteI remember christmas cards on a string - no doesnt happen in this household anymore - I dont do cursive more of a running print style and love to journal and shopping list and any sort of lists.I do have a very creative friend in canberra and her and I send letters back and forth - I do love sending cards postcards just a little story or random observation or a note of appreciation - because I love it so much when I receive likewise - email is not the same . I feel so embarassed because I text birthday greetings too - well I'll have to pull my socks up on that - good one leanne lovely stroll down memory lane and a great reminder of all that we could miss out on if we let it go entirely. .. note to self
ReplyDeleteThat running print is the way a lot of us go these days Sandra - I'm a little envious of you and your Canberra friend. Letter writing friends are a rarity indeed these days. I remember a friend who I wrote back and forth to while she travelled around Australia - and I wrote to my grandmother for many years. Both are long gone now and I've never found a replacement for them. And BTW if it's any consolation, all my birthday greetings to friends seem to be done on FB these days.
DeleteThis year, an old primary school teacher kindly sent me a copy of a school photograph from when I was about 8. Since then I have written to her several times. As I write the letter (in cursive script), I am conscious of trying to write neatly, because she was once my teacher. I am also struck by how similar my writing is to my mothers, as mentioned above by Kristin. However apart from that, my writing is restricted to a few birthday cards and shopping lists. My son in NZ tells me that he loves receiving a real letter from me, so I should write more. email is too easy!
ReplyDeleteYou should definitely be writing to that lovely son of yours Erith - I don't think either of my kids would know what to do with a letter from me! And I smiled when I thought of you making sure your writing is neat for your teacher - old habits die hard.
DeleteIt's so true, handwriting is a dying art. I also think that the way the world is going, just so fast, means we have to find swifter and swifter ways of expressing ourselves. Hence emojis. Even my hubby said the other day how much quicker and easier it is for him to add an emoji after something he says in a text message to more clearly make his point, or communicate a feeling. I find I can only really think through my fingertips hitting the keyboard. Handwritten articles or posts are jilted and need lots of editing. I used to love handwriting, and had quite a lovely hand as I practiced a lot. Now it's just a scrawl and very laboured!
ReplyDeleteI use emojis to make sure people understand that I'm being humorous or upbeat - everyone is so titchy these days that you have to cover all your bases! And I find that I think and type better than I think and write too - I hadn't realized that before you said it, but it's definitely true - I think because typing is faster and keeps up with all the stuff pouring out of my brain!
DeleteI was thinking about this topic recently when starting my Writing Memoir project. My original plan was that I was going to do the writing in a journal. I soon realised that I can't write comfortably now. It's been years since I wrote with pen and paper. My calendar, shopping lists, everything really is done on phone or computer. I do use a paper diary for my gardening jobs and blogging schedule so that I can actually see it on front of me. I've had a few pen friends and am still in touch with one. We email now. It's just not the same and we are quite sporadic in our contact now
ReplyDeleteI was surprised to see that all the penpal groups online are about doing it by email Jennifer - I guess it makes sense because it's free and immediate - no waiting for those letters to arrive (especially from overseas) but we lose a little in the immediacy and there is no anticipation any more. I think I'm going to restart letter writing soon because I'd love to dig out my old writing paper and a nice pen.
DeleteLeanne I had forgotten about airmail paper till you mentioned it. I am sorry that writing letters, notes and such are disappearing. I have a friend that stills sends cards for every occasion and her handwriting is beautiful and she writes so well but this is a lost art.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if they even make those blue airmail self sealing letters any more Victoria? I wrote many a letter on them and I sent so many letters to friends when I lived away from home - email has killed the art of letter writing - good and bad in that.
DeleteAlthough I use computers a lot and love my I pad, I still love paper and pens. I still send Christmas cards and I love that tradition. I've gotten lazy with birthday cards and do resort to Facebook now. A hand written note is special and hopefully will remain!
ReplyDeleteI still love receiving cards Michele - FB birthday wishes are often a bit banal and I've actually taken my birthday off FB to avoid the token HBTY comments. My Christmas cards are down to a smattering but I still enjoy every one I receive.
DeleteI'm sad to say that my default now is the computer - part of that is ease, part of it is because it satisfies my little OCD thing. That said, my grandson is going into Grade 4 and is looking forward to learning cursive this year - I too thought it was dead, had heard it was no longer taught in schools. I'm not a consistent journaler, but that part of my life is still hand-written.
ReplyDeleteI'm the same Agnes - almost everything is typed on my laptop and I'd be lost without it. That being said, I still journal by hand because it feels more "real" and it's nice to have something tangible to flip back through at times.
DeleteYou made me think about cursive...I have not written in cursive for years! I switched to pseudo-cursive-printed in college because it was faster for me taking notes. I still hand-write a lot. Journalling is all handwritten. And note-taking, when reading or researching or taking a class. Lists and yes, I still have a weekly paper calendar. And still do Christmas cards. But nothing is cursive except my signature.
ReplyDeleteI love getting the family newsletters so hope those stay around...but they are not hand-written! I've dropped out of most BD card sending. The worst however for me is the dropping of sending thank you notes for "big stuff" - like graduations, showers, and weddings. Yup, 50% of my recent experiences there... and these are not "token gifts" I've given. I really do expect a hand-written thank you.... I've become the older generation for sure!
I'm the same Pat - I do a token running printing/writing for everything - I occasionally use cursive in a birthday card, but that essay was my biggest undertaking in a loooong time! I developed the print/write thing in my uni days too - faster and easier to read for note taking in lectures. I really want to get back to writing more though. And you're right about thank you notes - can't remember the last time I received one!
DeleteEverything I write started long hand in a Moleskine notebook first. I remember writing letters
ReplyDeletewhen I was young. My mother made sure I knew how to address them properly, but alas. Letters have fallen by the wayside. Although I still like to send cards.
I remember learning the correct way to address and envelope in school Jennifer - and the hours and hours perfecting our writing style. It would be a shame to see it die out completely - and I know that I use it far less than I could if I wanted to. I'm challenging myself to write more and print less!
Delete"they" say that we are nearly 70% more likely to remember something if we write it down. I think the physical act of handwriting (as opposed to dictating a note on our mobiles) is key to learning and developing memory. Yes, handwriting is slower, but I think that's the point. It is the time-consuming act of writing that helps cement the image to our brain. That's my opinion, at least. Plus... I think handwriting is an act of creative expression. Since I don't draw or paint, handwriting is as close as I come to art :) Pinning to my #MLSTL board for future reference.
ReplyDeleteYou're absolutely right Molly - I'm sure handwriting and memory are interwoven. Visualizing something works far better for me than just hearing. I was a big note taker in uni for that exact reason and I'm still a list maker - all done by hand (not on a smart phone!)
DeleteI love receiving a handwritten communication - mostly a postcard when friends are travelling. I try to remember to send handwritten birthday cards for closest friends but I often fall back to Facebook. I do love to hand write my plans for the week and my annual/monthly goals, they are then right in front of me on my workspace pinboard. There is something much more satisfying about crossing an item off a list than deleting it from an online calendar, and that means I still have a record of what I have achieved, unlike e-records which (mostly) disappear when they are deleted. Christmas Cards have gone by the wayside for us though, I calculated the cost one year and decided to give the money to charity instead. Sharing this
ReplyDeleteI still jot a lot of stuff down pen to paper but I missing writing in cursive. That essay my husband and I tackled was the first time I'd written a chunk of anything in cursive for many, many years. I need to get back into it again before my handwriting deteriorates beyond redemption.
DeleteI have included your blog in INTERESTING BLOGS in FRIDAY FOSSICKING at
ReplyDeletehttps://thatmomentintime-crissouli.blogspot.com/2018/07/friday-fossicking-27th-july-2018.html
Thank you, Chris
I write constantly, all my articles/stories/blogs, etc. are written in longhand first.. I can't bear to type them straight into a blog, etc. They don't seem real.. but I do have a 16 year old grandson who can't read cursive writing, and asks that I print in cards... I don't, I check that he can read what I wrote though, so he can work out my script now.
Hi Chris - thanks so much for including my post in your round-up. I popped over to check out all the interesting links you included - lots to check out!
DeleteI print more than doing cursive because too many of my students do not know how to read cursive and my handwriting sucks. I don't think they even teach cursive in school anymore. Typing has replaced handwriting.
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting Lee - to think it's no longer being taught is quite confronting - part of our heritage lost. I wonder if it will be the same in other non-English speaking cultures?
DeleteFirst of all, look how many people you touched with this post!! It tugged at my heart strings and made me a little sad for handwriting, love notes, letters, diaries. All things from my younger life. Although, I never learned how to write proper cursive and so my handwriting is a mix of print and cursive letters. Wonderful, thought provoking post.
ReplyDeleteThanks Leslie - I miss all those lovely things we handwrote too. The only thing I have left is my journal and then the boring stuff like notes and calendars. It's sad that it's an art we may lose in another generation or two.
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