It is with great dismay that I see the validation of a suspicion I had about the end of civilisation as we know it: That cursive writing is dying out because of keyboard use.
I have always admired people with great penmanship. Somewhere in my possession is a replica of the American Declaration of Independence. It was literally beautifully written.
In my opinion, the keyboard is nothing compared to the pen. The keyboard can't express our sorrow, anger or love in the same way that a pen stroke can. Tears of joy shed when reading a love-email doesn't leave a mark in the same way as when one is reading a handwritten love note. Which is probably why I have too many shoe boxes of cards, letters and notes from friends and loved ones.
But it isn't just the keyboard that's killing our penmanship. Those blasted PDA manufacturers have forced us for years to write in cryptic squiggles we know as graffiti. The more one 'PDAs', the less legible their handwriting becomes. Have you tried switching between a stylus and a real pen? See what ends up on the paper.
1. (re)Learn: Basic Handwriting for Kids
2. A sample of my own yucky handwriting.
Hmm...tried posting comments to some of your old blogs but unsuccessful. Great tots tho. ;) If the Keyboard killed our penmenship where will these "cyber slangs" lead us?
Posted by: kyzee at 2003年06月10日 20:13Hmm...tried to post comments to some of your previous blogs but unsuccessful. Great tots tho. ;)
Posted by: kyzee at 2003年06月10日 20:14With a lot of creativity and less sentimentality, anything could be overcome. Time to move on.
A lot can be read from ones penmanship ... I tend to agree though, that in this current time, penmenship is a lost cause. The young no longer sees the need to be good at it.
I have on one occasion, encountered a senior executive that insisted in checking on handwriting. Apparently he is able to read the writer's character from it.
Posted by: fische at 2003年06月10日 23:20