Replies

I don’t have much opportunity to hand-write things out these days, mostly lists, or fire inspection information, or Bible study notes. Just about everything needs to be inputted on a keyboard now. But a couple of years ago, I realized I was forgetting how to write in cursive and thought what a shame it would be to lose that skill. Now I try to write the few things I do write in cursive. It actually feels good to do sometimes; like a little mental exercise to work my brain in other than the usual ways.

I might add, I write mostly left-handed and my cursive was never what one would call beautiful. And I remember how tired my hand used to get tired after extended writing bouts (though I was never one of those lefties that had to curl their hands around like a claw to write legibly). But I appreciate it more now, maybe because it is becoming a lost skill and involves a little creativity and thought. More than pounding a keyboard, anyway.

I remember working with a volunteer at work who was a retired engineer. He had a slight case of Parkinson's which made his handwriting very squiggly and shaky looking. It made him SO sad because, he said, when he was a young man (and as an engineer) he took pride in his beautiful penmanship.