Handwriting

Over the course of twelve years plus of childhood schooling, we were taught not just to write, but four different types of handwriting! Printing came in kindergarten and first grade. Then came cursive, then script, and last, we learned calligraphy. (My penmanship - described by some friends and family as 'chicken scratch' - was not my forte - not that I didn't care or try!)

In Medieval and early industrial times of western civilization, there were monks and scribes who copied scholastic, political, and religous works by hand for communications and archives. This was long before typewriters, computers, and copy machines existed. The Bible, the Magna Carta and The Declaration of Independence are three examples of Western works all originally recorded by hand. I'm especially intrigued by the lovely art of 'illumination' where the scribes use colored inks to ornament the first letter of a page, and sometimes the margins as well.

Because of our computer keyboards and other reasons, fewer schools spend much time any more teaching writing by hand. However, anyone whose computer has broken down for any length of time knows writing by hand is still a talent of worth! Even for someone like me, there is meditative pleasure to be found in the arts and laborious concentration of handwriting. And, receiving a letter with one's address and name in lovely script on the envelope is a true, not-so-mundane gift.