This past weekend was my weekend to work at the library. And on Saturday morning our e-mail system went out. So instead of typing emails for my co-workers to receive on Monday (my day off) – I had to actually take pen to paper and write notes for three co-workers.
And actually having to take the time to write those notes made me ponder when I actually had last written a note – not just a post-it-note for someone but a real note that required me to address the note and write a few sentences to include the information I wanted to relay. And I think handwriting, that is writing a note, letter or card in cursive writing, is a dying art. I even found out while discussing the subject of handwriting notes with our Children’s Librarian that the children attending our local elementary schools no longer learn how to write in cursive in school. I couldn’t believe that fact. The kids don’t learn to write they only learn to print!
I suppose if I really think about it I can understand why — that with shrinking budgets local educators figured that almost everyone owns a computer, smartphone or tablet and so much school work is completed today by typing on a keyboard and having the printed word appear on the screen and then printed page via a keyboard – why should they waste the time and effort teaching kids how to write in cursive when they could spend the time teaching kids other more modern skills.
But still…
I cannot imagine not learning that skill. I can still remember going into my first grade classroom and seeing the cursive posters on the wall and thinking “Wow, I’m a big kid now I’m going to learn to write!” But perhaps I’m simply showing my vintage….
I do think that actually taking the time and effort to write something by hand shows that you thought whatever you wrote actually merited the time and effort you took into neatly writing it. And I think that a handwritten birthday or anniversary note certainly relays that you care to the person celebrating the birthday or the persons celebrating their anniversary more so by far than a computer typed note or email.
Now granted I love the modern technology and the way it allows us to access information and communicate with each other 24/7 but even so it seems to me that handwriting is an important skill that we should value and continue to foster and use.
What do you think?
And when was the last time you wrote, in cursive, a note longer thanan post-it-note?
I’m sure there are some hand-written journal keepers out there somewhere!
Have a great day!
Linda R.
Tech & Book Talk at SSCL 