by @AnnieDaylon
My cursive is cursed!
Recently, when I received a handwritten letter from a friend, I chose to abandon my keyboard and respond in cursive. Alas. My lengthy days on the computer came back to bite me. I found myself hesitating over handwriting’s loops and swirls. I also experienced growing agitation when the deletion of errors resulted in scrawls and scratches. I discarded my first attempt and started again. I had only written a few lines when I paused and questioned my spelling. It actually crossed my mind that the word I was staring at must be accurate: if not, wouldn’t there be a red, squiggly line under it? 🙂
On the heels of amusement came a streak of sadness. How computer dependent I have become! Am I losing my ability to hand write?
Years ago, as a teacher, I was on the side of keeping handwriting as a part of the curriculum. Later, as a volunteer at a writers’ conference where it was my job to assist writers with registration, I was appalled at meeting young writers who could barely sign their names. The awkward curl of their fingers around a pen brought to mind images of children—six-year-old students—gripping stubby pencils.
After seven years as an author, one who gets words on the page through typing or voice-activated software, I see things differently. Why would those young writers have been comfortable using pens when such activity was not a part of their daily lives? Handwriting feels awkward even to me and I have a solid background in it. The closest I get to handwriting now (in daily journals, in note-taking, and on science-display storyboards which are awash with colorful, post-it notes) is hand printing. Yes, I can still use handwriting. But would I choose it? No.
And I can foresee a time when no one will.
Still, I wonder at the dependence on technology. My parents’ generation, the greatest generation, the now dying generation, could do darn near anything: fish, hunt, sew, build, design, farm, sow, reap, print, and write in elegant cursive. What if, in some dystopian universe, today’s society loses all its tech assistance? We would, I believe, have to start from scratch, learning once again to curl our fingers around a pencil.
My hope is that handwriting survives. It is beautiful and personal. I used to think it a valuable tool. Now? I still appreciate its beauty.
But, for me, it has moved from tool to art.
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My best to you,
I love good handwriting, and you are right, it is becoming rarer. I remember those double training lines..and ink pots and scratchy pen nibs! I log looking at old manuscripts and seeing the beautiful penmanship. There was a downside: those ‘lefties’ forced to write with their right hands…not good. Some of my students have lovely handwriting..some seem to let their pet spider loose. I sill use a fountain pen for cards and formal letters…with an assortment of coloured inks, of course.
I love the idea of using a fountain pen. It reminds me of doing calligraphy which I learned–and taught–years ago. On occasion, I still use it but have to admit that I use felt-tipped pens now. 🙂