Lately I have taken to writing things down in cursive. For years I have printed everything, by hand not machine, to ensure others could read it. The only person I know for sure that could read my cursive handwriting is my Mom. I'm not sure why that is but I know that it is so. I think it may be related to how a pharmacist could read the doctors prescriptions. It is some kind of secret training or intuitive thing, like a Jedi mind trick. At any rate, all of that is becoming a thing of the past. Cursive handwriting is becoming a hobby, like Calligraphy, and doctors just e-mail the scripts to the pharmacy these days. My granddaughter tells me she can't read cursive. If it is mine, at this point, I'm not surprised but she says all cursive. I'm not sure I believe that. It very well may be a lack of practice reading cursive but as far as just reading it I can see no problem. Both of my grandchildren,here in Maryland, are excellent and prolific readers.
I keep a note pad next to my computer. I write down odd facts and thoughts that just pop into my head on it. It is on this pad that I have taken to practicing my cursive handwriting skills. I will say I have seen some improvement in it's legibility. I wrote almost an entire page one day and looking at it became inspired by it. I have to say it just looked more professional and somehow more learned than the printing I normally used. That is when I became inspired to think about writing in cursive all the time. So far the most difficult part has been slowing down enough to form the letters, and joining some letters. Going from the capital to the lower case is also proving to be troublesome. Somewhere in this mind of mine, tucked away in a dusty corner, Mrs. Flannery, my fifth grade teacher is telling me how it is done. There is also this nagging stereotype that only girls have good handwriting. Pretty handwriting is for girls. Seemed like all the girls had the best handwriting. All the boys had bad handwriting.
My idea is to develop my cursive writing skill to an acceptable level of legibility. When I reach that point I will begin to write my poems and some selected essays in a book. I will make several of these,all written by my hand in cursive, for the grandchildren. They will be a sort of legacy perhaps. Call it a notebook if you will. I have a few little things, a postcard, a couple of letters and some scraps of paper that have handwriting on them from my Dad and others. Whenever I see them or read them I feel a connection. That is my thought with this writing endeavor. I hope to give that connection to them and future generations as well. I'm thinking hand written pieces will become a lot more scarce in years to come. It is the same principle behind saving those school papers from your children in kindergarten. They are far more personal.
There are lesson you can take online in cursive handwriting. You can buy materials and practice books at the stores. I am not going to do either. I'm going to rely on Mrs. Flannery. If she was good enough then, about 1964 or so, it is good enough now. I should have paid closer attention, but you know how it is ? Mrs. Flannery always did say, " if you would just apply yourself " etc,etc,etc. I will apply myself to this task. It will no doubt be a slow methodical process. That's alright I have the time.
I keep a note pad next to my computer. I write down odd facts and thoughts that just pop into my head on it. It is on this pad that I have taken to practicing my cursive handwriting skills. I will say I have seen some improvement in it's legibility. I wrote almost an entire page one day and looking at it became inspired by it. I have to say it just looked more professional and somehow more learned than the printing I normally used. That is when I became inspired to think about writing in cursive all the time. So far the most difficult part has been slowing down enough to form the letters, and joining some letters. Going from the capital to the lower case is also proving to be troublesome. Somewhere in this mind of mine, tucked away in a dusty corner, Mrs. Flannery, my fifth grade teacher is telling me how it is done. There is also this nagging stereotype that only girls have good handwriting. Pretty handwriting is for girls. Seemed like all the girls had the best handwriting. All the boys had bad handwriting.
My idea is to develop my cursive writing skill to an acceptable level of legibility. When I reach that point I will begin to write my poems and some selected essays in a book. I will make several of these,all written by my hand in cursive, for the grandchildren. They will be a sort of legacy perhaps. Call it a notebook if you will. I have a few little things, a postcard, a couple of letters and some scraps of paper that have handwriting on them from my Dad and others. Whenever I see them or read them I feel a connection. That is my thought with this writing endeavor. I hope to give that connection to them and future generations as well. I'm thinking hand written pieces will become a lot more scarce in years to come. It is the same principle behind saving those school papers from your children in kindergarten. They are far more personal.
There are lesson you can take online in cursive handwriting. You can buy materials and practice books at the stores. I am not going to do either. I'm going to rely on Mrs. Flannery. If she was good enough then, about 1964 or so, it is good enough now. I should have paid closer attention, but you know how it is ? Mrs. Flannery always did say, " if you would just apply yourself " etc,etc,etc. I will apply myself to this task. It will no doubt be a slow methodical process. That's alright I have the time.
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