Hand-written Notes

There is something special about receiving a hand-written note.
~ Dr. Angi K. Orobko

Hand-written notes and letters are such a gift! I feel that the person behind it took that extra special time to scribe it just for me. Handwriting is becoming a lost art as more and more of our children are learning keyboarding instead of handwriting. I am aware that many school system’s no longer require and/or include cursive writing in their lessons anymore. I feel that is quite a loss.

With the dawning of computers and hand-held digital devices, more and more of us are typing and text-messaging (texting). Our own language cannot even keep up with the new verbs we are creating as we type messages on our mobile phones and other electronic devices. Furthermore, our words have been reduced to acronyms. LOL (laugh out loud) Am I the only one finding it hard to keep up with all of this digital-techno-speak?

Oh, please do not misunderstand. I do appreciate the convenience of being able to communicate any time I like, 24/7 (24 hours a day, 7 days a week); but, it does seem just a tad bit less personal. Don’t you think? The internet is certainly an amazing source for information (and misinformation).

Most questions can be answered at the tip of our fingertips by doing a Google search. Has “google” become a verb? I googled it and Wikipedia states that the Oxford English and Merriam Webster Collegiate dictionaries have added it in 2006. Really? And yet, my spellchecker has it red-lined. Hmm!

Let me get back on the topic of hand-written notes. On the one side, I love receiving them. On the other side, I love to write them. Why? When I hand-write a note, a letter, or a journal entry, it allows me to slow down and take time and reflect. It can be quite meditative.

One of my favorite gifts to give others especially around the holidays are hand-written messages (in their holiday cards). I believe these messages are deeply appreciated, even though many of my loved ones do not reciprocate this. I usually get a Merry Christmas and a signature. It saddens me to think that holiday card exchanges have been reduced down to a chore. This is a golden opportunity to scribe a special message to share how much we appreciate our family and friends with hand-written messages. Consider taking the time to reflect and appreciate your loved ones this holiday season by sending a  hand-written message of love, appreciation and blessings.

Related articles

• As Computers Rise, Schools Witness The Slow Death Of Cursive (rferl.org)
• Cursive Handwriting: Not Completely Useless (ajswitz.wordpress.com)
• Handwriting – Nature or Nurture? (justwords41.wordpress.com)
• Handwriting (saikrishnakorivi.wordpress.com)
• Evernote & Moleskine Merge Paper & Pixels in “Smart Notebook” (readwriteweb.com)