Handwriting? Show yours.

[geoffbot]

[popoki nui]

[hayday]

Sadly, I have read that cursive writing instruction was being removed from school curriculum's in the United States. Only a matter of time before other countries follow suit.

Writing in cursive is pointless. No printers print in cursive, no books are in cursive, no word processing software is in cursive. It serves no purpose, whatsoever, that I can think of. I would consider aesthetics to be a purpose but perhaps one should learn calligraphy if one is wanting writing that looks pretty.

I was required to write in cursive in 3rd grade. This requirement was lifted by 6th grade and I haven't written in cursive since. Other than signing my name, I do not use cursive. No one should.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

-hayday

[muddy250]

I am mightily relieved to see that I am not alone in this computer age in losing the ability to form legible text with a pen.
I sat an exam last Monday and the most frightening thing about it was the fact that it was totally handwritten. Christ only knows how the examiner made enough sense of my pitiful scrawl to mark it but happy to say I passed.

This is a sample of what passes for my handwriting these days, sadly it used to be far better than this. I like to use fountain pens but it seems there's no substitute for practice and in this modern age there's precious little call for the written word.:-(

[muddy250]

I will try to embarrass myself tomorrow. My handwriting is atrocious. I honestly don't even remember how to do some of the letters.

I find myself pausing, almost stuck, when writing sometimes, as if my brain cannot remember how to form a letter. The other thing I do is start a word with the second letter and have to go back to add the first. Worrying!

[hayday]

I am mightily relieved to see that I am not alone in this computer ag in losing the ability to form legible text with a pen.

I have always had chicken scratch handwriting. I don't blame digital age technology for the downfall of good handwriting, but it is very responsible for the downfall of good writing. I blame AOL Instant Messenger, circa 1994, as the vanguard of this downfall.

-hayday

[MHe225]

I saw this thread in the wee hours of the morning (ca 2 AM - don't ask) and wanted to respond, yet couldn't get to pen(s) and camera to write and take pictures, respectively.
Unlike most people I know, I still do write a lot, each and every single day, yet I don't want to share any of it as it would let you all read in my diary. And even though that's all in Dutch, there are some here able to read Dutch.

The topic got me thinking and I took a picture of lab-notes penned some 30 years ago:



and a zoom-in, so you all can actually read what I wrote:



This pen was almost new at the time of writing, but I have retired it about a year ago as it was totally worn out - gold nibs are fairly soft and they do erode with use. In addition, the pen looked really shabby as the lacquer finish had started to peel some 10+ years prior:



Below, a recent (<30 minutes old) example of my handwriting plus the pen used - try to read what I wrote, as I'm not going to type the same (consider it a test).



I understand that - and why - people, kids and adults alike, don't write that much anymore in this day and age, but it is a trend I hope will reverse as it has some unwanted and unrealized side-effects. Writing is great for developing and maintaining fine motor-skills and with lack of "training" people become clumsier (again). So do yourself and/or kids a favor, spend a few $$ on good writing instruments and start training -eh, writing

[Hayseed Brown]

[Statius]

That's a fine example of Arabic.

[Seriously]

Missed career opportunity - Doctor Whatmeworry , almost readable in parts..... but then quickly fades away to complete illegibility in front of of you, as you progress through the sentence