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.
I invite you to join my author journey: subscribe to blog or newsletter or both! The newsletter contains news about books, links to some blogs, and occasional fun facts about my beloved island of Newfoundland. To sign up, simply place the required information in the spaces provided on the right. Rest assured your email address will not be shared for any reason.
My best to you,
