Do You Keep a Journal?

Who journals in cursive penmanship?

The teacher in me smiles when I notice

a young person who writes in cursive script.

The day our pen pal letters arrived from Germany,

was revealing in my German classes.

Many students remarked that the students

in Germany had such beautiful handwriting.

And they wrote using a fountain pen and ink.

Some of my students asked what a fountain

pen was. They used ballpoint pens or pencil.

Cursive writing is good for the brain and improves

fine motor skills.  My own note taking in college

involved cursive writing.  The skill is one I still

use today from the ordinary shopping lists or

reminder notes.   In my early teaching career,

students wrote homework assignments in

cursive.  Imagine how surprised I was to learn

that some students no longer learned cursive

writing in elementary grades.  From time to time

I am asked to translate from German.  Some

want to know what family documents such as birth

certificates mean in English. Anyone who has

ever read a handwritten letter from a grandparent,

knows one must adapt to a particular writing

style.  Often, I had to read through and write out

words before getting to word meanings.  The art

of translation has been an enjoyable pursuit for

me over the years.  There is a sense of satisfaction

at being able to provide the English to a last will

and testament for the lawyer or family member.

Let’s go back to my initial question of who uses

cursive handwriting.  I do.  I learned how in first

grade in Massachusetts.  Our mail carrier who hails

from Jamaica learned it in first grade. She arrived here

in fifth grade.  Personally, I find that writing in

cursive allows me to be more creative. My journal

accompanies me to the park for a walk.  Also, to

many waiting rooms where I can jot down thoughts,

reflections, or even questions. Handwriting is a

vital life skill.  Better than blank staring at screens.