Cursive, curses? No! Cursive, creative.

Another holiday season, another slew of season’s greetings cards to send out.

I always compose brief notes on each card. For the occasion, I break out my (somewhat rusty) cursive writing skills … after first doing a practice sentence, an old typing drill which employs every letter in the alphabet:

Not bad, right?

Despite a long, interesting history, cursive is going out of style fast. Friends my age can read cursive, but most of their kids can’t. My son’s elementary school – much to my dismay – doesn’t allocate any time for its instruction! I instead decided to teach him myself; here’s a sample that makes this mom proud:

So, Ethan can now read and write cursive; but how useful is that ability over time, in an ever-more digital world? Will knowing script go beyond honing fine motor skills and improve his reading comprehension? The general consensus is, thus far, no.

But I have a different take. Proficiency in and use (however infrequent) of script promotes an appreciation for the writing and editing process in a larger sense. Cultivating such a perspective is beneficial, especially when working on a blog or novel.

Beauty and attentiveness is intrinsic in cursive. It is a form of art, akin to thoughtful writing and editing. Or as my southpaw son says, “It’s cool.”

“Write” on(ward)!