Composing a dirge for handwriting

At the bank just recently, I was asked to send a written letter for closing my account. What must have been an easy job became an unexpected difficulty. My handwriting, when constant and familiar, looked unequal and squiggly. It struck me that I had actually not composed a letter by hand in years, as the majority of my interaction nowadays takes place through WhatsApp or e-mail. Seldom do I put pen to paper.

The shift from handwriting to digital text started with the increase of computer systems in the late 20th century. Word processing program changed typewriters, and as the Internet and mobile phones ended up being extensive, typing rapidly ended up being the standard for whatever– e-mails, essays, messages. The speed and benefit of digital interaction are indisputable. One can modify, share, and shop text more effectively than ever previously. This ease has actually come with a compromise.

For generations, handwriting has actually been an essential part of education. Schools utilized to commit whole durations to handwriting. There were note pads with red margins, instructors with hawk eyes, and the dreadful four-line guideline. One misdirected ‘g’ would welcome the instructor’s rage. Finding out to form letters and type words marked an essential developmental turning point. Handwriting was not just a way of interaction however likewise an important tool for discovering and cognitive advancement.

In today’s digital world, nevertheless, the basic act of composing notes by hand feels significantly unusual. It stays an effective and individual method to link– with us and with others. The requirement for handwriting might be fading, it has actually not disappeared entirely. It still holds worth as a human art type, worth maintaining and commemorating.

Maturing in the early 1950s, long before mobile phones and Internet postcards ended up being a valued methods of interaction, postcards were not just a sign of travel however likewise a lifeline in between loved ones. We excitedly waited for the day-to-day arrival of the postman, expecting a letter from a liked one. There was unequaled delight in getting a handwritten note, and these minutes kept our writing abilities alive. Postcards, with their restricted area, likewise honed our capability to reveal ideas concisely.

In today’s world of instantaneous messages, photo-sharing apps, and social networks updates, the procedure of picking a postcard, composing an individual note, and mailing it feels practically old. Its disappearance marks more than the end of a sentimental custom, showing the decrease of handwriting itself.

The failure of the postcard started with the telephone and sped up with the Internet. Now, a tourist just snaps a picture, includes a filter, and shares it quickly with the world. The timeless “Wish you were here” has actually ended up being a caption, not a handwritten message.

The art of handwriting is vanishing not since it is no longer helpful, however due to the fact that we have actually forgotten its worth. In its peaceful appeal, it stays one of the most individual kinds of expression we have. It should have not simply remembrance, however revival.

vepaje@yahoo.com