Lost Art

By: 
Jane Clark, Writers Bloc

A beautifully handwritten note on a lacy, embossed card from a friend recently made me realize how much I miss the tradition of sending and receiving letters. There is something special about receiving a letter that someone took the time to sit down and write and then mail it the old fashioned way. Technology has replaced this century-old custom with emails and text messages, but it is a loss that we will no doubt regret in coming years.

In my keepsakes from the last sixty years are handwritten letters from my brother when he was serving in the Air Force in Hawaii. He died in an accident at the age of thirty-three, and  his letters are the only tangible evidence I have of his existence. In the letters he expresses his unrealized dreams and hopes for the future.

My best friend from high school and I have corresponded every year since graduating in 1960. Over the years we shared the details of our children growing up, various social activities, and the changes that come as we grow older. When the internet became popular, she complained for several years because I wasn’t using emails, but she continued writing letters in her recognizable handwriting. She was pleased when I finally started emailing about fifteen years ago and recently referred to my email as a “letter.” In my keepsakes I have some of her letters from years ago, and although I could print the emails I receive now, it wouldn’t be the same as a handwritten letter.

The decision several years ago for schools not to teach cursive writing any longer was, in my opinion, a very bad decision. Although it is true that most business forms used today ask you to “please print,” there is still a need for everyone to know how to write and read cursive. Just think of the historical documents and other important records that young children will not be able to read.

My two grandsons were not taught how to write cursive and will not be able to read the journals I kept about the special times we shared while they were growing up. The letters written decades ago by my grandmother, a favorite aunt, and other family members contain some interesting family history that could be of interest to them in the future.

I remember in elementary school when I practiced printing and writing the alphabet on my Big Chief tablet. In those days we were proud to learn the art of penmanship, and I enjoyed doing the exercise of making continuous loops that helped me learn to control the use of a pencil. Although my handwriting isn’t perfect, I used to enjoy writing many letters, trying to make them look as neat as possible. I still write letters to my Aunt Bea, the last of my mother’s generation, and cherish any letter I receive from her.

It is sad that the art of letter writing has nearly disappeared, but maybe there are still a few people out there who will make an effort to keep this tradition alive. 

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Jane Clark is co-director of Writers Bloc and has been a member of the group since 2005. She enjoys writing memoirs, essays, poetry and fiction, and her work has appeared in several regional and national publications. Her first novel True Allegiance is available on Amazon.com and Books A Million.com.  For more Writers Bloc blogs visit www.salemleader.com

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