Although I like the spirit of your post, I’d disagree with “what’s important”:
cursive handwriting - Other than your signature, I wouldn’t spend much time on it. Reading, maybe. Writing, probably not. There is no market for it now and I don’t see one developing.
“math calculation by hand” - To a point, perhaps - I believe that understanding the relationships between numbers is more easily done with learning math “by hand”.
BTW, I challenge anyone over 40 to divide two fractional numbers by hand, for example, 0.034345 / 0.75634 and come up with the correct answer. I just barely did and I was a math wizard at one time. I hadn’t done that in 35 years!!
know how to use a slide rule
No market for it, although it MIGHT help one understand the relationships between numbers.
operate a manual typewriter
Only of historical value. Typing, however - is an absolutely critical skill.
understand the dewey decimal system
A vague familiarity with it might be useful, but I wouldn’t spend much time on it unless you plan on becoming a history major.
The #1 problem I see is lack of critical thinking skills, which I believe stems from the “no consequences” mode of living young people seem to have now. Cause doesn’t seem to have much of an effect, and liberal thinking further muddles this (”bad choices” being the least likely cause of personal failure).
good points!
I had in mind the failure of the grid, (which I do not hope for, by the way), and the need to go back to manual skills.
I love technology, and all it has brought us, but sometimes wonder how our clerks would manage to add up our groceries, and correctly count out our change.
How would architects and engineers function?
Assume no recorders, maybe I should add shorthand to the list?
My list could go on and on, and is obviously impractical. But while we marvel at all our modern technology, we have lost many skills, and those of us old enough to remember them are going to pass on, taking them with us.
Maybe we could encourage our young to have re-enactment “faires”, as some do for medieval times, but with the 50s as the model.
Just dawned on me that I am probably guilty of “thread-jacking”!