I should have known things were headed this way. A few years ago my dad gave my kids a sizeable cheque inside a Christmas card. Inside he had written "Look at how much I gave you, you little dorks... I demand your complete and utter devotion now and forever" (I may have paraphrased, there) in the most beautiful, florid hand. As he looked at my kids eagerly, waiting for the group hugs and tears of gratitude, they just stared blankly at that damned card. I think they actually started turning it sideways before I slapped it out of their hands. Ugh. They couldn't read what he'd written.
I remember when Elliott was in grade 3 and he brought home a cursive writing sheet. Once. The other kids never had them.
I get why they don't teach it anymore, I really do. The internet and computers have pretty much sealed the fate of cursive handwriting. But it's such a shame. For me, cursive is so much faster than printing. And if I take my time with it, I can do a pretty good job. Plus it's a sure bet that if I write a mash note to Scott and leave it lying around the house, the kids won't be able to read it. Okay, that's a silly example. More like if I leave a grocery list out they won't know if I'm getting cookies or not.
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| This is not my writing (or spelling) |
My mother had the most gorgeous handwriting. So much so that I have a tattoo of it on my arm. And that brings up another point. My parents had a long courtship that was mostly conducted through letters. I have a pile of them and since both of them wrote in old-style cursive it's hard for even me to read. My kids will never be able to read the letter my dad wrote asking my mum to marry him. Come on, doesn't that pluck at your heartstrings?
kxx
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previous commenter notwithstanding, my uncle used to tease me about my chickenscratch printing.
in the last year of his life i practiced a lovely balanced handwriting so i could write him properly. i still have hindreds of pages of notebooks filled up with penmanship practice.
with real pens.
but a long ago broken right hand, arthritis damage, and a hand tremor left over from a discontinued medication leave my handwriting as illegible as it is painful.
when i MUST write by hand i resort to block printing, unless it is a very formal letter.
if you ever receive from me a card written and not printed, you should understand that it probably took me several hours to write out those few lines gracefully.
You can totally follow my blog, but only if you like to eat food now and again . . .
Your tattoo is actually my example (to anyone who listens) of a tattoo that I'd be proud to have on my body for the rest of my life. Everything else, I think, has the potential to come and go, but your own mom's signature? Priceless and an excellent thing you did.
Back to cursive. I even dragged my kids to the occupational therapist once a week for a year, both of them, more years for one of them come to think of it, and can they "sign" things? Nope.
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