Is handwriting a lost art?

It was a item mentioned on a talk radio show
That it is...
Not taught in school anymore.
 

I still write thank you cards, I admit my cursive writing is not as good as it once was. I tend to write faster than I did in my youth.

Just yestday I got a hand written card from an old college friend. I love getting cards and letters.
 
At work, I have several ways of communicating: MS Outlook and MS Teams. MS Teams, besides being used for video meetings, can also be used to send real-time messages, as long as the recipient is available at their desk. Another method of communication I employ is the handwritten Shift Log.

The handwritten Shift Log is my primary resource before starting my shift. It helps me identify any immediate follow-up items I need to address or any information that the person from the opposite shift believes would be beneficial for me to know. This Shift Log then becomes a quick reference that I can revisit not only throughout the day but also when looking back over previous days and weeks.

Some Shift Log entries consist of simple one-sentence items, while others are a few paragraphs. Each log entry is numbered. I believe I couldn't function properly without my Shift Log – both for reading and writing in it. I've been relying on handwritten Shift Logs for the past 30 years.

My writing is cursive.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
Women tend to write cursive in big loops. As a guy, I could never figure out if this loop was an "m", "l" , or "p". If your purpose is to convey an idea, using the most identifiable method is printing. Cursive is such personal scratching, it's difficult for others to fathom what you wrote. Plus, to write well in cursive takes time and concentration, much more than we usually give it. I don't view cursive as some great art lost.
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We were taught to write cursive. We had a paper with sloping lines which was placed beneath a blank page and then had to follow the lines. It always looked neat and tidy after much practise.
 
My schoolteacher mother’s penmanship was perfect. It was only as she was into her late 80s that it really showed how shaky she was. Still perfect form.

My husband’s writing wasn’t beautiful but it was neat and controlled. In his 60s it became really difficult to read. It was probably an early indication of his neurological issues that were developing. There were other little signs that I recognize in hindsight.
 
Gaer said:
"Not taught in school anymore?"
That is so sad.
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Not very many schools do anymore. My one kid's handwriting wasn't good (left handed), but still readable. She wasn't encouraged to write cursive very much after they were taught a few years later in school. After graduating she got serious & practiced & now has nice cursive writing. I told her people will judge you with what you do or don't know. Being able to write cursive can only be a plus for you.

One funny story, in high school, she wrote a paper in class in cursive. For whatever reason, the teacher had them exchange their paper with other students for grading. The girl (same grade) she handed her paper to was unable to read cursive & got mad at her for writing that way.
 
According to one of my sisters, at least when I was younger and living in New York City, I never learned handwriting. Every letter had criticism about my handwriting, and comments like, " It's a wonder that the mailman can read your chicken scratching, to deliver your letters to me!"
Her letters were such a pure joy to read!
 
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Because I spent many years as a draughtsman and had to print in capital letters on engineering drawings, I lost the ability to use handwriting and use capitals everywhere. The young ladies that used to type my letters for me were always pleased as they could read every word.
 
In the middle ages, Europeans were inspired by the Arabs who also used a form of handwriting where the letters were all connected, so they started to use cursive to write Latin. As quills were used for writing, cursive became more popular due to the infrequent lifting and writing speed. The actual word “cursive” dates back to the 18th century and is linked to a Latin origin that means “running”.
 
Gary O' said:

Is handwriting a lost art?​


Pretty sure
Phones and laptops seems to have taken the pen outa our hands

A snippet of my Grampa O's writing, many years ago;

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That is beautiful handwriting.

I think teaching kids how to write in print & cursive causes them to learn in more ways than anyone may think. It's been said the hand writing skills engages your entire brain as well as fine motor skills. You improve your thought process because you are putting your thoughts into words & those words to paper. Your spelling improves & you retain more information. In school & college, I used to scribble my notes in class to get the information down & then when I went home, I took the time to rewrite them legibly. That was the paper that I used to study for my tests & it worked pretty well for me.

Everyone should also be able to sign their name in cursive for legal documents, etc. Your name signed in cursive is unique to you, but by only printing your name isn't & that print can be more easily forged.

By writing in cursive, it can help us older folks keep our mind sharp since it's a cognitive exercise.

I have handwritten recipes from my Grandma that I value very much. Just like the handwritten family information in the bible by my Mom. For me they are irreplaceable.

In the early 80's, I started to collect family recipes & bought a small 3-ring recipe binder that had blank recipe sheets (5 1/2" x 8"). Little did I know at that time, that 1" binder would wear out & be expanded over the years to 4 now nearing 5. All of them written in cursive. I only wish I could have started when Grandma was alive so I could have had her fill out some of those pages.
 
Gary O' said:
Yeah, signed my name about a hundred times a week at the office

My 'cursive' became quite unique
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One of the more unique players with the Toronto Maple Leafs hockey team was Eddy Shack. Eddy became tired of "signing autographs " so he had a rubber stamp made with his signature on it. An actual "Eddy Shack hand written signature " is a collectible item now. Eddy was known as "The Entertainer " both on and off the ice, for his comedic acts. In the off season in the 1970's Eddie sold men's fedoras for the Biltmore Hat Company from Guelph, Ontario. He sure sold a lot of hats. JImB.
 
@horseless carriage, you are on the mark.

From the time my kids could write, I always made them write thank you notes to everyone. I explained to them that if someone took the time, effort & thought to give you something, the least you can do is to send them a thank you note. Even if you thanked them in person, you still send that note.

I'm loosing track of not even getting a verbal thank you from kids in my family, as well as from kids friends, who have received wedding or baby gifts. But that is another topic.
 

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