So, I don't really need a day to celebrate writing by hand- I do so every day, in one form or another. Journal entries, grocery lists, jotting things down in my agenda, making notes to myself... I got as far as I could in the whole "computers save the day" bit, but little everyday tidbits get done by hand. That said, I'm happy to recognize and celebrate National Handwriting Day because it gives me a reason to really THINK about how handwriting impacts my daily life.
As I look around me, especially in my general untidiness, I can see too many examples of handwriting to count. My name, written in bold capital letters, on an envelope that I received from Harley Davidson containing a congratulatory letter and a gift card after I won a contest. Myriad 3x5 cards with lists, reminders, interesting facts, addresses, and who knows what else. An invoice from the heating and air conditioning company that says I paid $75 and should have my furnace cleaned next fall (with an exclamation point!). A piece of scratch paper with a list scribbled on it of our Thai food order. A grocery list, with "coffee" starred three times- I guess we were especially low that week. Another piece of scrap paper with scribbles on one side; I must have been testing a new pen. Post-it notes with names, facts, opinions, and reading reminders sticking out of the books on the shelf above me. I could, and should, recycle most of it. The one thing that really stands out, that I won't be recycling any time soon, however, is something that was created on a computer and printed. It's a note from my husband that has two huge interlocking hearts on it saying, "You are still my favorite thing in the world. -YLH" that he wrote after he got his dream motorcycle and I was jealous of the new lady in his life.
To me, writing something by hand is an emotional, personal experience. It helps me remember things- even if I never check that list again, writing it by hand solidifies it in my memory until I can check each item off. Running a line through an item or placing a big check mark next to it is satisfying. I keep a running commentary in important books (often on Post-it notes, but sometimes on the pages themselves) to have a conversation with the author or to remember certain points. Love letters are written in curly, expressive cursive. I take extra care in writing holiday cards or thank you notes, to ensure that my words are legible and express the sentiment that I feel. My husband doesn't share this opinion- he's more comfortable with computers than I am, and if he had his way we wouldn't keep any paper in the house for any reason. That he printed his little love note to me is a pretty big deal, really, and I acknowledge and appreciate it as such.
We're living in a world that's much faster-paced than that of our parents or grandparents. We send an email and get a response almost immediately. When my grandfather jotted hellos to his friends and relatives, he had to wait days, or weeks, or months for a reply. I don't wish to trade places- I like how quick our correspondence is today. However, I'll still keep a sheet of stamps tucked away in a drawer so I can write a letter or send a card, and wait days, or weeks, or months for a response. Writing things by hand slows the entire process down- it allows me to really consider my words carefully, because I can't easily delete what I've written. It makes me slow my thoughts to keep time with my hand. It connects me to my emotions in a way that typing never can.
Even though my husband created his note on a computer and printed it, I don't think any less of the sentiment that he wanted to express. It was a way of drawing a connection between his emotional expression and mine- I got a piece of paper that I can see every day, and he got to use the medium that made him comfortable. I'll enjoy seeing it as much as I enjoy reading the cards and recipes that my grandfather wrote years ago. I run my finger over my grandfather's words ("Happy birthday, doll. I love you. Granddad") and feel a connection to him because they came from his hand, but I never find myself doing so with my husband's note. However, I know that both -the printed and the hand written- came from love, and it's that that I love the most.
Computers and handwriting both have their place, but to me those places are rather far apart. I see computers as part of the practical realm, while pen and paper is for everything else. With that in mind, I'm going to celebrate National Handwriting Day by writing a letter, engaging in conversation with a book, and then writing a note saying "I love you" to my husband to slip into his coat pocket so he can find it sometime tomorrow. I imagine he'll send me a text when he finds it, and I'm completely fine with that.
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