THE " WRITE" STUFF

Technology seems to have robbed us of our collective handwriting ability.  I shudder when I get email correspondence with 4 instead of 'for' or 'four' or u for 'you' and so forth.  Who keeps emails lovingly?  One cannot hold them feeling the touch of the loved one who wrote those lines.  The tinge of age does not give emails a dignity all their own.  

                                                              Photo from Pinterest

A third of us today cannot read our own handwriting, let alone that of another.  Did you know that the science of handwriting (especially cursive!) is called graphology? How letters and words are crafted can indicate more than 5,000 personality traits.  

Many consider cursive handwriting an art form, a historical tradition.  Remember the homework of learning cursive handwriting in school in the 40's and 50's?  Now calligraphers charge for their handiwork.

Still today, I much prefer the excitement of receiving a handwritten letter or card to an email. When the mail person delivers the mail, we are still expectant as to what might be there for us. The enjoyment of taking the time to write a message out on a card is still a task that I approach with care and love. 

All these musings came about because incredibly, my old 50's autograph book has survived the years.  Kept safe somehow it outlived other bits and pieces I wish I had cherished.  What made me think of it was that the Facebook page for those graduating from Taunton High School prior to 1975 was speaking of our teachers and the school back then. Yes, I am one of those from the graduating class of 1957.  Here it is and till holding all its pages tightly so as not to forget.

The subject of the autograph book also brought forth more musings on my part.  This time on the fast disappearing art of beautiful handwriting.  As one looks at the signatures of those teachers there is an art and beauty to their flowing scripts. The same can be seen on those of my loved ones long gone.

As one of my favorite subjects in my mother, I will start with hers.  She loved to write and it shows most distinctly in her signature that runs singing across the page.

 It is a special gift to find anything that she wrote.

Then we come to teachers.  This is fascinating to me.  When I linger on each page the personalities of each of them comes right across.  See if you agree with me.

Bob Daly, Civics and John Keating, English.

"Hammy" Lane I only remember for a home room.

                                                Miss McMorrow at Cohannet School
                                             She taught math, the only time I enjoyed it.

Mr. Gilcrest at THS who taught English Composition  told me way back then that I could write.     Mary…..I cannot make out the last name.  Can you?  She taught at Cohannet.

Finally, this one I printed out and it hangs above my computer. 

My Aunt Eleanor: wise advice for life.

More autographs are from classmates, still here or gone on already.

Then there are more family  ones.

Collecting autographs was a serious task back then, but I am so glad that they were kept.  I can sense everyone through their writing which is a gift of memory.  Ah, truly the "write" stuff.

Links used for this post:

http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/aug/21/lost-art-handwriting

http://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/handwriting-101-00000000015886/index.html