Is Cursive Writing Obsolete?

Not too long ago, I entered into a conversation with the lady who was doing my pedicure.  Turns out she is just about done with her degree of Elementary Education and was telling me about the various internships she’d had and the process she was about to embark on to secure a full-time teaching position. Naturally, I inquired as to what grade she wanted to teach. She told me that she was interested in 3^rd or 4^th grade because at this age, she felt the children were old enough to really enjoy being at school and learning but not yet at that God-awful stage of the know-it-all pre-hormone raging Tween. 

As we were talking, I remembered that I’d read something not too long before that it was very likely that children would no longer be taught cursive writing, at least as part of the required curriculum.  I asked her about this and she acknowledged that it appeared this was indeed the direction the Florida public school system was headed.

I’ve thought quite a bit about this since and, although I understand why, with the reality of people relying on emails, social media and text messaging to communicate with one another, cursive writing is no longer really necessary, I’m still not sure I entirely agree with its dismissal.  Here’s why.

A person’s handwriting is unique to them.  I doubt that there could be any two people with the exact same handwriting.  Whether the letters are flowery and flowing or small and cramped, precisely formed or all over the place, elegant or sloppy, legible or not; handwriting is a person’s signature.  If a sample of handwriting from people who have figured prominently in my life were put in front of me, I’m fairly confident I’d be able to correctly match each sample with each individual.  And, like other things associated with people I’ve loved, catching sight of a departed dear one’s handwriting can instantly bring that person back to me, if only for as long as it takes me to read what they’d written.  I’ve run across many people who have said they treasure letters from grandparents, parents, siblings, spouses, children; that it brings them comfort to see their handwriting.

Aside from personal reasons, a more practical one for reconsidering doing away with the practice of learning cursive is that in learning to write cursive, one also learns how to read it.  The pedicure lady told me that, when her teenaged niece received a birthday card from an older female relative with a handwritten note inside, she handed the card to her aunt and said, “I can’t read this.  What does it say?” 

Ok, ok, those who know yours truly might always say this about MY handwriting; in fact, there are only a handful of people in my life who can actually read it (my Father recently told me he’s come to call my handwriting “cursing” instead of “cursive” because he curses the entire time he’s trying to decipher it), but, I do think I’m sort of an exception rather than the norm.

There are millions and millions of historical documents, letters, journals, logs, etc.,  that are in cursive.  If future generations cannot understand them, we’re going to need an entire new occupation for those few who can decipher cursive!  Yes, yes; if we continue to go the way we’re going there will eventually be no more cursive, but, still.  We’d best get busy with the translation, then.  And what about all of the museums whose various exhibits contain placards of snippets of original letters or journal entries or, or, or?  Will the museum curators have to be able to stand ready to translate?

So, then, these are two reasons; personal signature and the ability to read historical documents.  Are these sufficient to continue with the practice of teaching cursive?  Playing devil’s advocate for a moment, there were, obviously, subjects taught in grade school hundreds of years ago (or maybe even just 50 years ago) that, by nature of scholastical and sociological evolution, became obsolete and would be totally ridiculous to teach in this day and age.  It could be that cursive is just another of these subjects. 

There is another excellent point that eliminating cursive frees up the teachers (and students) to focus on more important and relevant studies (I personally think that, sooner or later, there will be a subject centering entirely on how to effectively figure out a new cell phone!)

Perhaps there will eventually be an elective offered, either in high school or college (or both); a class in cursive writing that someone can take instead of, say, home economics, auto shop, choir, or French.

Who knows what will eventually befall cursive writing.  After thinking this through as I wrote this entry, I am sort of on the fence as I can truly see both sides of the argument. 

What does everyone out there in Blog-Land think?

As for my own writings; my diaries and journals, my secrets are safe, regardless!

My, My, My, How UNUSUAL!

One of my new activities is being on the BOD for the DSO. Yeah, I've purposefully left this sorta "vague". Doesn't matter, isn't pertinent to today's post.

Anyway, last night, we had an "addressing and stuffing invitations" party. It was hosted by a very gracious and genteel (if a bit eccentric) grand dame named Lucia. Lucia (and her husband) are extremely influential within the community. Extremely. They now live at a very upscale retirement village in nearby Chapel Hill. This is where the "party" was held; as a side note, I was really impressed with this place. It felt more like the Waldorf Astoria than a retirement community. Note to self; make enough money so that when we "retire", we might ultimately get into this place (if need be).

BTW, Mr. B and I were at a party this past Saturday night and Lucia was there. She said to me "Y'all are coming Tuesday night, right?" to which I replied in the affirmative. She turned to Mr. B and said, "Well, honey, it's only ladies so y'all will have to go play golf or whatever it is you men do". Too funny!

So, there we all were last night doing various secretarial tasks. It was quite fun, actually; and, Lucia had set up a nice table of cheese, crackers, veggies, nuts, fruit and wine, along with some gorgeous flowers.

Because I arrived an hour later than the others (driving up from my "job" in Greensboro), I ended up addressing envelopes (one of the least-favored tasks).

After I finished with that, I stuck on return address labels and stamps. While stamping, I ended up sitting next to Lucia, who was a flurry of activity (and would wear me out if I had to hang around her longer than a few minutes). She was sorting through addressed invitations in order to pull out the ones to people she knew so that she could write a personal note (I have to say she had a huge stack; as I said, this lady knows A LOT of people).

As she's sorting through, she pulls out one in particular, looked at it, and said, "My, my, my, how UNUSUAL!" I looked over at her; she was holding an invitation I'd addressed. She continued, "I've NEVER seen handwriting quite like this before!"

I sort of grimaced to myself but spoke up, "Oh, that's my writing". She looked at me and said again, "How UNUSUAL! Did you grow up in a foreign country because your writing looks like someones who didn't originally speak English".

What could I say to THAT? I merely replied, "Nope, I'm just left-handed!" (Mr. B told me later I should have said, "I grew up in California"; ha ha ha, Mr. B!)

She smiled somewhat bemusedly at me, as if to try and remember who exactly I was. (earlier in the night, she'd referred to me as "Hey, Blue Lady!" (because I had on a blue shirt)).

Anyway, I did get a chuckle out of this because, frankly, my handwriting is a bit hard to decipher.

My handwriting; can YOU read it?

It's been this way ever since I can remember; certainly, it was this way when I was a teenager corresponding with my 90+ year old great grandfather (it was a toss up as to whose writing was harder to read; I think I beat him out, though!)

My friend Kathleen told me she always has to read my handwritten letters/cards to her husband Don because he can't figure out what I'm saying.

And, in my prior life, the folks that worked for me used to compare notes I'd written them and place bets on what certain words were.

Of course, it was all in great fun and, eventually, people ARE able to figure out what I'm writing. I think. Or, maybe they just make up what they think I was saying? These guesses might be even more interesting than what I WAS saying!

But, I'll admit, even I will re-read something I wrote (say, in one of my journals), and say to myself, "What the you-know-what is THAT word?"

As for the hundreds of invitations I addressed last night, what can I say except I've never had anything returned to me by the post office. So, the postal workers, at least, and I, are on the same wave length.

What does THAT mean?

Mrs. B