Today is National Handwriting Day 2011
National Handwriting Day was the invention of the Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association and was inaugurated to remind us of the importance of Handwriting as a skill and a means of communication and personal identification. Never has this concept been more important than now, when the digital age tricks us into thinking that it would be perfectly fine if handwriting were to become obsolete. Here are the just 5 reasons why it wouldn't:
- Handwriting as an activity involves more of the human brain than any other activity except for speech. "Use it or lose it....."
- For most people, the act of writing is slower than the act of keyboarding. Sometimes it is a good idea to slow things down and consider more carefully what one is communicating.
- Let's not lose the ability to communicate more personally - Computers are great, but let's not put all our communication eggs in that one basket.
- The act of learning to write plays a special part in the development of young brains, and should not be discarded thoughtlessly.
- The skilled handwritten signature is still an excellent method of identifying an individual and a document.
I found the above information here. Are you going to write something today? I think I will fill up my fountain pen that was a high school graduation present and see if I can still write as beautifully as I once could. I still have a bottle of permanent black ink. See one of my previous posts on this subject with some flash cards to download and print.
6 comments:
I used to write calligraphy but haven't for sometime now. I should keep in practice. Writing is a skill we should keep alive. Technology should only be a part, not the whole.
My Mother won the penmanship award in High School. It was always something of which is was extremely proud. Did you know that most elementary schools don't teach cursive writing anymore? Yes, it's true! My grandson's second grade teacher only included it as an "extra-curricular" subject and only photocopied the same pages we were using at home.
Can you imagine that a whole generation won't be able to read anything written in cursive?
I love journaling for this reason.. I find it very helpful to slow down and THINK about what it is I need to say. Helps you sort your brain out and clear your head. Almost bought my husband a fountain pen for Christmas this year....I'm keeping that idea for another time :)
My handwriting has never been that great but I keep writing, just finished up my Christmas thank you notes yesterday. This morning I was thinking that I would try and write a note to someone every day this year. I probably won't be able to pull it off but even if I did it only a couple of times a week that would be pretty good.
My sons say they have a hard time reading my handwriting but my daughters and daughter-in-laws say that have no problem readying it. My grand kids will probably never be able to read it, that's sad. My grand kids all print as they spend very little time teaching cursive writing in school, it really is dying skill.
One of my favorite things that I have hanging on the wall next to my bed is a framed Christmas message written by my maternal grandfather, he had beautiful handwriting.
I love getting a hand written note, don't you?
Thank you for this post Rosemary, it's one that really touched my heart.
A follow up to my comment above. This morning while on the treadmill at the gym I watched a short news story on CNN about the schools in Georgia. The powers that be want to eliminate the teaching of cursive writing. Their reasoning is that kids are using computers/smart phones and texting as their form of communication. Cursive WAS the the best technology for communicating but has now become obsolete. I'm not a luddite but I do think it is sad to see this skill die a slow dealth. I'm off to write a note and will continue to do so for as long as I can.
Oh, another news story this morning, they are closing down 2000 post offices this year....soon I may not be able to mail my hand written notes.
A follow up to my comment above. This morning, while on the treadmill at the gym, I watched a short story on CNN about the schools in Georgia. The powers that be want to eliminate the teaching of cursive writing. Their reasoning is that kids are using computers/smart phones and texting as their form of communication. Cursive WAS the best technology for communicating but has now become obsolete. I'm not a luddite but I do think it is sad to see this skill die a slow dealth. I'm off to write a note and will continue to do so for as long as I can.
Oh, another news story, they are closing down 2000 post offices this year, soon I may not be able to mail my hand written letters.
I can write but I'm lousy when it comes to punctuation.
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