The Lost Art of Handwriting
It is ironic that I am writing this Blog using paper and pencil. Blogging is a great invention of the digital era allowing people like me to post for the entire world to see.
I will be the first person to admit that my handwriting is horrible. I’m very thankful for the amazing support of my friends and family who have endured my countless handwritten letters trying to decipher my handwriting.
Having been extremely lucky to grow up on the leading edge of the computer revolution I suffer from one unfortunate consequence poor hand writing skills. In 7th Grade I realized that my future would require hours on a computer every day, and so I signed up for typing class. I learned to type on a manual typewriter that rang a bell as you drew near the right margin and you had to physically push the carriage return lever to advance the paper and return to the left side.
I soon came proficient in typing and suddenly stopped relying on my handwriting. By 9th grade I was typing on my Apple computer for more than I was writing anything by hand. While that was a great advantage for my computer career, it has hindered me in as much as my handwriting still looks like that of my 13 year, not having evolved much since High School.
I will urge my son to continue to use and evolve his handwriting as he grows up in an era of texting and face time. Nothing is more elegant than a well-crafted handwritten note on stationary. I believe our modern era has forgotten the elegance and grace of handwriting and I hope it’s a skill that doesn’t get lost in the future.
