Handwriting was so important
At one time in our lives
Many a thing written years ago
To this day survives
Now there's many other ways
To record the words we need
Whether the purpose of them
Is to hear or read.
The time we spent in learning
Those letters whilst at school
Provided us forever with
A very useful tool
So remember the old saying
That what you never use
I'm absolutely sure of this
You will eventually lose
Don (Collector of fountain pens.)
Another good one. The local infants' school asked for volunteers to write and send letters to the school to be read out at class. Most of the children have never received a handwritten letter through the post. I volunteered, but have not been passed any details yet.
I hope that takes off but I think it's a bit optimistic to be honest. 🙁
Perhaps that is why I haven't heard anything. I actually think it will be one letter back to the class, so not too much. Not sure, we will see if I hear anything more of it.
I admire the sentiment and the illustration you include. Don. Unhappily, modern technology will regard such advice as anathema, seeing the superiority of the electronic device, such as this reply to you, as a better format for communicating. If you are effectively championing the wrist exercise involved in the physical act of writing, along with the hand and eye co-ordination, then all power to your elbow! Your poem is a delight from that point of view. What a conundrum!
Terry
I admit to being a bit nutty, Terry, but not to the extent of championing handwriting as a practical means of communication. To me it's a pleasurable activity, a pastime ideally suited for someone unable, because of their health, to do much else.
I suspect that in coming generations everything will be symbolic...like hieroglyphs ...currently called emoji.
Good afternoon Mr.D. and I'm a believer in "handwriting" too. Nowadays it's so easy for the younger generation to be on their keypads rather than physically handwriting anything. It's the sign of things to come I 😱 fear?
Well I get a lot of pleasure out of writing with a good pen on good paper no matter what it is I'm writing. I was hoping that some members unable to do much else would also find that to be so. I doubt whether youngsters will, even if they survive walking under a car whilst their thumbs click away.
Hi don. So true. I have kept a diary from 13 onwards and still do. I would hate to disappoint my handwriting teacher (miss sands) even though she tried to make me write with my right hand because in her words " being left handed was just wrong". I can laugh now but i was terrified at the time !! Love burs xxxx
Oh dear me, I bet a lot of children went through some stressful times for being left handed. My nephew suffered from that treatment and the result is that he can write equally well with either hand, which impresses people no end. 😎 I keep my diary on my iPhone because it nags me to do things which need to be done. My shopping list is usually hand written and left at home by mistake. I see handwriting now as a pleasurable activity which we should keep maintained, if only for that reason alone.
Its a dying art Don, my grandson said he never receives letters so I try to write him often, although he doesnt write back ha! Think it is just the joy of receiving something from the postman, or more like the £20 I put into it ha! I used to love doing caligraphy but fingers are sometimes too stiff. Would love to find a class for this, alas nightschools are finshed now x
I used to get 'thank you' letters for sending money to relatives children (I don't have any grandchildren) which I enjoyed receiving. I envisage the time arriving if I live much longer that they'll be sending me money! 🙄 If they do I shall send them 'thank you' letters. 😎
There is also a more serious side. I am in my mid 60's a very good friend, of same age, was diagnosed with cancer a few years back, she was told only had a few months, but managed a year more with her family. Her friends, including myself used to send regular cards, silly ones, funny ones, rude ones etc, always with something written inside. She did enjoy the post coming and when not well enough to manage her email, could see a card and have it read to her. She had them all put in an album, thought her family might enjoy looking back over them, also gave her something to giggle at when having a fearful/painful early morning.
Both when my father and my husband died, there were the cards with the flowers (often written by the sender, not the florist) and the letters sent afterwards. I treasured the letters which arrived, in some cases months after my father died ( some people only heard when seeing the notice of his death in the professional magazine). Sometimes they had only known him for a few years, anything up to 40 years before, but the trouble they took was wonderful. It is just not the same by email. I think there is a time when something in writing is absolutely vital, your computer/phone etc can crash and then all is lost, only loose paper in a house fire. Sorry a bit of a rant, but a hobby horse of mine!!!
That was the point I was trying to make. If people lost the art of writing it would be tragic. I remember when a lad everyone had autograph books in which not just signatures of friends and relatives would be kept, but little comments as well. I wish I still had mine, but it came to be regarded that they weren't valued if they didn't contain autographs of famous people. There's nothing as personal as a handwritten message and as you point out you don't need expensive possibly unreliable equipment to read it.
I work in a shop near university & one day a student came in to buy a stamp. Was gobsmacked when they asked me where on the envelope they needed to put it as they had never sent a letter before. They had written the address in tiny writing in top right hand corner. Felt like telling them the stamp needed to go inside the letter cos they probably would have done it 🤣
The loss of common sense is even more worrying than the loss of handwriting skills. 😂
I still have my autograph books from primary and high school with pictures and poems brings back memories too. My children had never seen one and regret the younger generation were not interested. Only problem is the poems are all in Dutch but translated in English they were in awe but ofcourse in did not rhyme. Therefore I am so impressed with your poems always looking forward when I go on the site.
You are so lucky/sensible to have kept your diaries , I remember mine had things written by people who were around me all the time, but are now long gone. I thought them worthless because they were just ordinary folk and not famous. Now I would given anything to have them back. 🙄 I'm glad you enjoy my poems. 🤗
Thank you Don I do cherish them my mum and nanna wrote in it as well and would you believe the first one was in 1954. Sorry you do not have them anymore we do make mistakes in our lives which we later regret but we look to the future hey.
You have triggered an old memory here, Don. When I was at school, c. 1948, one of the lessons was roundhand. We had a flat tipped nib on our pen and were taught an attractive form of writing called Roundhand. This involved making all upward strokes with the thin edge of the pen and all downward strokes with the thick, flat edge. No idea why we learnt it, certainly isn't in current use!
I had to go Googling to find examples of Round Hand writing. Studying writing methods and pens, especially fountain pens, can be so rewarding and is an ideal hobby for people unable to do much because of health limitations.
My grandchildren all have beautiful writing and they are very proud of it. I put this down to the excellent teaching they are getting at school. It's a pleasure to get something from them that is hand written. They had to get their 'Pen licence' before they were allowed a fountain pen in class and they have all aspired to get one. Not all the kids are on their computers all the time - though ours spend a fair bit of time on them. There's still time for other activities too. Glad you are a fountain pen collector, Don. There are some beauties out there. xx Moy
That's good news Moy, I was beginning to feel a bit downhearted by the messages coming through. I'm totally out of touch with what goes on with kids at school these days with not having any grandchildren. Since my wife died I have to be very careful about showing interest in what children do, which is a great pity.
Morning don ,i was a registra of BD&M we had to use fountain pens and specialist ink (that actually got darker as time went on ) ,that ink also clogged our pens up ,penmanship was important, havd a good day ,good poem by the way
Ah yes, registrars are one group of people who have always maintained good penmanship. I was surprised to learn how many different kinds of ink there are. There's even hobbyists who collect just inks of different makes and colours.
‘‘Tis true Don that handwriting a letter , postcard or even a thesis is dying out. Too many a student get higher marks than they deserve due to grammar and spelling corrections made by the writing programme on their computers. Love to see free handwriting with correct formation of letters. Hold on to it.
The Art Of Letter-Writing...
How do court recorders keep straight faces ???????????????
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