Saturday, June 11, 2011

The Diminishing Skill of Handwriting


Graphology^ - the study of handwriting, especially as an indicator of the writer's character or disposition. Ain't it wondrous to know then that you could actually  tell partially   the character of a person based on his handwriting? It may seem potent and palpable to judge from that point but sad to say, almost everyone of us, adults primarily do not hone our handwriting skills anymore.

We are glued to our computer terminals all day long dribbling our fingers on the keyboard, nonetheless, tapping onto our smartphone's touchscreens or using the QWERTYs on our Blackberry devices. Seldom do we pick up a pen and write at least multiple sentences or even paragraphs, we may at times use the ballpoint on those occasions where we just need to sign a document and scribble our signatures. It was all true! Our handwriting skills are deteriorating... at these times of digital age.

They said, your handwriting is an important part of your personality. But how far are we going up in enhancing this skill? We may have drilled it a lot during our elementary days where the teacher would assign a five-page handwritten letter of an essay,  yet those were the days.

Call me a romantic but i still find that magical feeling whenever i'm using a pen & paper for my love letters. There's something distinct between the two that tries to convey the warmth or coldness, or whatever theme you may want to communicate in a letter.

Maybe i'm just being so indulging about writing that i still carry my hardbound notepad/planner/diary all-in-one, it dawned on me now that it was actually a double purpose in honing my writing skills, both mentally and physically - that is, practicing my cursive handwriting. Despite the tablets and smartphones  (OneNote app) lying around my palm, i feel empty-handed whenever i don't bring with me my blackbook (planner all in one) and my pen. It serves as my armor and bullets ready for a war and at times of meditative learning.

The most significant question that's in my mind right now while writing this post is, "Is it really important to practice handwriting at these times of the digital age?".  I'd say yes, but everyone is not required to do it. My theory is, as long as you are not neglecting this kind of skill as an art of expression, then you will never lose it, for it has been instilled and acquired in our minds, all you have to do is revive it from time to time. Don't let it rust and don't let the sharpness become blunt.





MAC
^defnition from wordweb