Do You Handwrite Letters?

Earlier today I had to fill out some forms by hand and noticed that I no longer seem to have any stamina for writing. After a relatively short time my hand began to ache and I wondered why these forms weren't online. As I silently cursed the unknown person(s) who was responsible for this I thought about how bad my penmanship is.

Somewhere in the archives is a post that I wrote about this topic, my penmanship that is. I'll save us both the time of searching for it by summing it up. My penmanship was never great, but it was relatively legible. If I had to choose between cursive and printing I always chose and still prefer to print. It is easier for me and I have fewer concerns about whether people will be able to read my writing.

So dear reader I am curious to learn if you still handwrite letters or does most of your communication take place electronically.

Inquiring minds want to know.

10 comments:

Esser Agaroth said...

B"H

My handwritten correspondences are down to only three, and they're not exclusively handwritten either. They're mixed hand and e-.

Letter writing is a dying art, unfortunately.

Oxmyx said...

Jack: I've written letters by hand all my life: to penpals, to grandparents, to sisters, and to friends. E-mail is fine for short messages, but nothing is nicer, or more personal, than taking the time to write a letter on paper the old-fashioned way. I find it very relaxing.

Jack Steiner said...

BY,

Letter writing is a dying art. There is something sad about that.

Oxmyx,

You are absolutely right about a hand written letter being far more personal than email. It is something that I should do more of.

Anonymous said...

I sent both my dad & grandma Valentine's Day cards this year, and I never just sign the card. I used to be much better about sending thank you and thinking of you cards, but that was in college when I probably needed money or something. Ten years out, and I concur, my hand began hurting almost immediately.

Jack Steiner said...

Daren,

Why don't you sign the card?

Michael said...

I usually correspond by email, but when I want to get personal in a note, I write a letter. It's more intimate.

Anonymous said...

Like Oxmyx, I enjoy putting my thoughts down on paper. I don't write letters or cards terribly often, but frequently enough. Despite the hand cramps, it's relaxing and feels more personal. I know a letter in hand from my husband in Iraq means the world, more even than an email that I know was more recent.

Jay said...

There's only 26 letters in English.

Think about the 5k Chinese characters and when they just don't want to flow right out of the pen tip (but they are doing fine over the keyboard). That happens often lately.

Jack Steiner said...

Hi Riv,

Without a doubt it is far more personal.

Hi Jay,

5k characters makes my hand hurt. Oy.

A.N. DSilva said...

I know how you guys feel.. I used to do handwritten greeting cards and letters too until I adopted this online system.

Now it's as easy as typing an email and it gets printed in my own handwriting, stuffed, stamped and mailed.

All this for under a $1/card!

I now send out twice as many greeting cards so I don't think handwriting it's a dying trend.

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