| I have long noticed the decline in legible | | | | that I am not foreign to technology or "writing" |
| handwriting (and it did not just begin with the | | | | aids. I typed 80 wpm and wrote shorthand at 90 |
| internet), and the decline in general literacy of | | | | wpm. These were useful skills for note-taking and |
| American youth. As a former teacher, I noticed a | | | | research paper-writing. But I always took notes, |
| correlation between these skills (or lack of them) | | | | wrote drafts and outlines, and took tests in |
| in the work of my students. I see misspellings and | | | | longhand--legibly and articulately. Taking notes on |
| typographical errors on television news reports, | | | | paper is much more portable and convenient. But |
| on billboards, in magazines-everywhere. Every | | | | it isn't just the writing that was important. Little |
| time I see an advertisement for a product or | | | | building blocks depend upon each other and cannot |
| service with errors, I assume that the | | | | exist alone. There is more on the table than |
| carelessness in executing something so simple will | | | | merely learning individual skills. One learns |
| also translate to carelessness in manufacturing or | | | | persistence, knowledge as its own reward, a |
| customer service or maintenance, and they don't | | | | proper attitude to carry through life. The tenacity |
| get my business. Applications bearing illegible | | | | cultivated by learning mundane skills and then |
| scribble posing as handwriting are to be deposited | | | | progressive ones--and to follow through with |
| directly into File 13. | | | | each--enabled me to develop into a person who |
| My parents were schooled through the | | | | could complete two college degrees and begin a |
| Depression and World War II. Both had stunningly | | | | rewarding career. |
| beautiful handwriting. My mother's was clear and | | | | Today strangers consistently compliment me on |
| flowing, despite punishment for being left-handed; | | | | my handwriting. I am a prolific poet. I am also |
| she later taught other "south paws" her method | | | | studying my third language: Russian--I have long |
| for smear-free, legible writing. My father's looked | | | | since learned the Cyrillic alphabet in print and a lot |
| like it hailed from the Declaration of Independence. | | | | of grammar and vocabulary, and I am now |
| I always admired it. I was taught cursive in 3rd | | | | struggling with the entirely different Cyrillic italic |
| grade, circa 1975. The repetitive drilling was, of | | | | and cursive alphabets--and I love every minute of |
| course, boring to a third-grade mind that | | | | the challenge. Mastering foundational and thinking |
| wandered to doodles in the margin, but I was also | | | | skills yields the ability for more advanced |
| excited to learn and master a new skill, driven by | | | | educational pursuits. Woe unto those who find no |
| love of my parents' writing. As I progressed | | | | joy in learning. I pity them. I'm never bored a |
| through the grades, I revised and re-invented my | | | | minute of my life. |
| handwriting into something more personal and | | | | Perhaps I was lucky; I found writing and language |
| aesthetic than traditional cursive (I critiqued the | | | | intrinsically interesting, and I didn't consider it nearly |
| standard), but it served as a wonderful foundation | | | | the chore that I considered math, at which I was |
| for that evolution, and part of my new style was | | | | mediocre at best (but I can still do a fair amount |
| my own mandate that it be legible. | | | | of it in my head, thanks to the banning of |
| My friends begged me to write "notes" for them | | | | calculators throughout my education). But I firmly |
| from their "parents" when they came in tardy. In | | | | believe that all of that drilling of printing and then |
| junior high school, I taught myself calligraphy, | | | | cursive--and subsequent lessons in Spelling and |
| supplementing other artistic pursuits, and | | | | Language classes so lovingly and vigilantly |
| immediately procured freelance work, including | | | | imparted and reinforced in me by teachers (who |
| doing invitations. I made A's in all of my English | | | | then had the time to do it)--is responsible for the |
| classes because I worked at it; I paid attention in | | | | fact that I am now treated with respect and |
| class; I did the homework; I asked questions. I | | | | dignity by people in higher positions than myself, |
| was the geek who thought that diagramming | | | | because I can express my thoughts concisely in |
| sentences was fun. In high school (mid-80's), I | | | | both written and spoken word. Speaking well |
| excelled at typing and shorthand classes; later I | | | | stemmed from writing well--I think about what to |
| learned numeric keypunching and could do over | | | | say. It brings me opportunities that I would have |
| 17,000 keystrokes an hour when in practice (with | | | | otherwise been denied. I see a light in the eyes of |
| 99% accuracy). I started learning computer | | | | people to whom I speak--because I know how to |
| programming as a junior. In college I learned | | | | speak. How lovely it would be if all of our children |
| manual hand-drafting and the precise style of | | | | could feel that from others. It feeds itself. It |
| printing that came with it, and then I learned | | | | rewards itself. |
| AutoCAD. | | | | Never discount the importance of "old-fashioned", |
| I never abandoned handwriting, despite the fact | | | | little lessons. Their impact is mighty. |