A friend recently observed that she doesn’t use cursive writing anymore, except to sign checks.  I realized that I don’t, either.  Out of curiosity, I sat down and just began writing whatever popped into my head in cursive writing only.  I had to hesitate a few times, reaching back into my memory banks on how I wrote certain letters.  I laughed as I wrote, because how do you forget something like that? 

I then contemplated the art of cursive writing, which truly is an art, as it can be a form of creative expression.  My grandmother was very artistic, and worked hard at creating a handwriting style that was unique to her.  When my grandfather joined the Navy, during the course of their correspondence (they were teenagers at the time) she insisted that he create a special handwriting style as well.  He wasn’t happy about it, but he did it. 

When I was in grade school, my main objective was that my handwriting not look like a boy’s.  In junior high school, the handwriting fad for girls was to draw a circle or flower to dot an “i” and for the letter “e,” we would write a “c” with a diagonal slash. 

My grandmother saved a few letters I had written her when I was young, including one when I was in high school.  My handwriting was definitely different than it is today, and in re-reading it, I remember liking the way my friend Kim wrote the letter “p,” so I copied it.

Historical documents can be revealing, not only in content, but in the handwriting and style itself.  A hundred years ago, the letter “s” was often written like a backward “f” and people who were illiterate, couldn’t write their name, would leave their “mark.”  The mark was just as unique as a signature.  Writing instruments of those times were usually limited to pens with sharp nibs that were dipped into an inkwell, requiring one to write quickly, and blow on the paper to encourage the ink to dry.  The appearance and type of paper were unique to the times.  Today, to mimic that special look, fountain pens offer a practical option for writing with a visual flair.

Pondering once again the cursive vs. printing methods, I wondered if the cursive style is falling by the wayside, because printing requires less concentration and is, therefore, faster to write.  In these days of texting, social media posts, etc., we are in such a rush to get it done, that we are losing an aspect of the literal human touch, thus, disallowing the future an opportunity to peek into what set us apart as individual human beings.

How has your handwriting changed over the years?

You Are A Classic

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