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| Photo courtesy: The Huffington Post |
I was shocked to realise; one, how difficult it has become to write; and two, the handwriting -- which, long back when I was in school and college, was reasonably good -- had become so horrible that the words, when written fast, are illegible, looking more like a mass of shapeless, undulating lines.
I wound my memory clock back to find out when was the last time I wrote at least half a page of something. Those were the days before email and personal computers.
It was in 1999, I got my first email ID, a Hotmail address. Till then, I used to write letters to my friends. Once email came, letter writing completely stopped; except to one very good friend.
I began working on a computer word processor for the first time in my office in 1989. But I got my first computer at home only 10 years later.
With computers at home and office, writing gradually came to a grinding halt.
The only time I write now is a letter of three to four pages to Henry, a friend who lives in England. He is also the only person who writes a letter to me. He is in his early 70s, and not at all computer savvy. He doesn't even have one. Nor does he have an email ID.
The reply to his last letter is long due. I have consciously decided not to type out the letter. Because it will look formal, lacking personal touch.
It is not easy to write. But the effort is worth it. I must write slowly, lest what I write become illegible.
Let me stop typing out this blog post and publish it. Then, I will take an A4 paper and pen, and start writing my letter to Henry.
I loved it when computers became the norm. When I handwrite, my hand cramps so easily. I can't write for long. But, I do write by hand regularly, so I haven't fallen out of practice. But I can see how easily one could get around without having to use pen on paper.
ReplyDeleteI am happy about writing on computers because I can type fast. But more importantly, no one will come to know about my bad handwriting as the fonts make all writing uniform :)
ReplyDeleteDestination Infinity
I am fond of writing letters by hand on paper but this has gone out of vogue and rightly so as environment friendly measure.But in my younger days, i used to relish writing with nibs soaked in inkbottles which soon gave place to fountain pens and then ballpoint pens with plastic refills with refined versions later.Pens are now used only to affix signatures. Handwriting is a dying art and it is years since I received a hand written letter or note.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, even doctors who have the baddest (hahaha) hand writing send the prescriptions to the pharmacy via internet.
ReplyDeleteI own a fountain pen, which was given to me on my 21st birthday (and features in the header of my blog). I write first drafts with it, and currently I'm scribbling over a printed out version of my first draft. I love handwriting, but yes, you do have to practice regularly or it feels very strange indeed!
ReplyDeleteHi Annalisa, nice to know that you use a fountain pen. Most people nowadays use a ball point pen.
DeleteIt's nice of you to take the time to write out a letter to your friend. I guess there are still some holdouts who don't have an email address!
ReplyDeleteYes, I am surprised he doesn't have an email ID.
DeleteMy handwriting has been atrocious from the very beginning and now it has reached the very nadir.But I am trying to improve it now.
ReplyDeleteHi Indu, I hope your handwriting gets better with more practice,
Deletethat sounds like me too. I now have blank journals because I don't write in them as i used to. it's just so easy to type words out and also, there's no problem trying to read what you wrote but I still write little notes down now and then though sometimes I can't read what it says.
ReplyDeletesomeone should start some sort of writing by hand movements or something.
have a lovely day.
Writing by hand movement ... that sounds like an interesting idea, Lissa. Thanks for the comment.
DeleteIt is true that letters in handwriting keeps abreast an affection and that too an informal.
ReplyDeleteMy use of pen is somewhat zero. Blogging draft I do in 'Word' and post in the site.
It is heartening to hear that still you keep afloat a handwritten-letter-link with one of your friends.
Hi Rudra, I am not planning to write a letter by hand to some of my friends regularly.
ReplyDelete