Today strangers consistently compliment me on my handwriting. I am a prolific poet. I am also studying my third language: Russian--I have long since learned the Cyrillic alphabet in print and a lot of grammar and vocabulary, and I am now struggling

My parents were schooled through the Depression and World War II. Both had stunningly beautiful handwriting. My mother's was clear and flowing, despite punishment for being left-handed; she later taught other "south paws" her method for smear-free, legible writing. My father's looked like it hailed from the Declaration of Independence. I always admired it. I was taught cursive in 3rd grade, circa 1975. The repetitive drilling was, of course, boring to a third-grade mind that wandered to doodles in the margin, but I was also excited to learn and master a new skill, driven by love of my parents' writing. As I progressed through the grades, I revised and re-invented my handwriting into something more personal and aesthetic than traditional cursive (I critiqued the standard), but it served as a wonderful foundation for that evolution, and part of my new style was my own mandate that it be legible.

My friends begged me to write "notes" for them from their "parents" when they came in tardy. In junior high school, I taught myself calligraphy, supplementing other artistic pursuits, and immediately procured freelance work, including doing invitations. I made A's in all of my English classes because I worked at it; I paid attention in class; I did the homework; I asked questions. I was the geek who thought that diagramming sentences was fun. In high school (mid-80's), I excelled at typing and shorthand classes; later I learned numeric keypunching and could do over 17,000 keystrokes an hour when in practice (with 99% accuracy). I started learning computer programming as a junior. In college I learned manual hand-drafting and the precise style of printing that came with it, and then I learned AutoCAD.

I never abandoned handwriting, despite the fact that I am not foreign to technology or "writing" aids. I typed 80 wpm and wrote shorthand at 90 wpm. These were useful skills for note-taking and research paper-writing. But I always took notes, wrote drafts and outlines, and took tests in longhand--legibly and articulately. Taking notes on paper is much more portable and convenient. But it isn't just the writing that was important. Little building blocks depend upon each other and cannot exist alone. There is more on the table than merely learning individual skills. One learns persistence, knowledge as its own reward, a proper attitude to carry through life. The tenacity cultivated by learning mundane skills and then progressive ones--and to follow through with each--enabled me to develop into a person who could complete two college degrees and begin a rewarding career.

Today strangers consistently compliment me on my handwriting. I am a prolific poet. I am also studying my third language: Russian--I have long since learned the Cyrillic alphabet in print and a lot of grammar and vocabulary, and I am now struggling

My parents were schooled through the Depression and World War II. Both had stunningly beautiful handwriting. My mother's was clear and flowing, despite punishment for being left-handed; she later taught other "south paws" her method for smear-free, legible writing. My father's looked like it hailed from the Declaration of Independence. I always admired it. I was taught cursive in 3rd grade, circa 1975. The repetitive drilling was, of course, boring to a third-grade mind that wandered to doodles in the margin, but I was also excited to learn and master a new skill, driven by love of my parents' writing. As I progressed through the grades, I revised and re-invented my handwriting into something more personal and aesthetic than traditional cursive (I critiqued the standard), but it served as a wonderful foundation for that evolution, and part of my new style was my own mandate that it be legible.

My friends begged me to write "notes" for them from their "parents" when they came in tardy. In junior high school, I taught myself calligraphy, supplementing other artistic pursuits, and immediately procured freelance work, including doing invitations. I made A's in all of my English classes because I worked at it; I paid attention in class; I did the homework; I asked questions. I was the geek who thought that diagramming sentences was fun. In high school (mid-80's), I excelled at typing and shorthand classes; later I learned numeric keypunching and could do over 17,000 keystrokes an hour when in practice (with 99% accuracy). I started learning computer programming as a junior. In college I learned manual hand-drafting and the precise style of printing that came with it, and then I learned AutoCAD.

I never abandoned handwriting, despite the fact that I am not foreign to technology or "writing" aids. I typed 80 wpm and wrote shorthand at 90 wpm. These were useful skills for note-taking and research paper-writing. But I always took notes, wrote drafts and outlines, and took tests in longhand--legibly and articulately. Taking notes on paper is much more portable and convenient. But it isn't just the writing that was important. Little building blocks depend upon each other and cannot exist alone. There is more on the table than merely learning individual skills. One learns persistence, knowledge as its own reward, a proper attitude to carry through life. The tenacity cultivated by learning mundane skills and then progressive ones--and to follow through with each--enabled me to develop into a person who could complete two college degrees and begin a rewarding career.

Today strangers consistently compliment me on my handwriting. I am a prolific poet. I am also studying my third language: Russian--I have long since learned the Cyrillic alphabet in print and a lot of grammar and vocabulary, and I am now struggling

My friends begged me to write "notes" for them from their "parents" when they came in tardy. In junior high school, I taught myself calligraphy, supplementing other artistic pursuits, and immediately procured freelance work, including doing invitations. I made A's in all of my English classes because I worked at it; I paid attention in class; I did the homework; I asked questions. I was the geek who thought that diagramming sentences was fun. In high school (mid-80's), I excelled at typing and shorthand classes; later I learned numeric keypunching and could do over 17,000 keystrokes an hour when in practice (with 99% accuracy). I started learning computer programming as a junior. In college I learned manual hand-drafting and the precise style of printing that came with it, and then I learned AutoCAD.

I never abandoned handwriting, despite the fact that I am not foreign to technology or "writing" aids. I typed 80 wpm and wrote shorthand at 90 wpm. These were useful skills for note-taking and research paper-writing. But I always took notes, wrote drafts and outlines, and took tests in longhand--legibly and articulately. Taking notes on paper is much more portable and convenient. But it isn't just the writing that was important. Little building blocks depend upon each other and cannot exist alone. There is more on the table than merely learning individual skills. One learns persistence, knowledge as its own reward, a proper attitude to carry through life. The tenacity cultivated by learning mundane skills and then progressive ones--and to follow through with each--enabled me to develop into a person who could complete two college degrees and begin a rewarding career.

Today strangers consistently compliment me on my handwriting. I am a prolific poet. I am also studying my third language: Russian--I have long since learned the Cyrillic alphabet in print and a lot of grammar and vocabulary, and I am now struggling

I never abandoned handwriting, despite the fact that I am not foreign to technology or "writing" aids. I typed 80 wpm and wrote shorthand at 90 wpm. These were useful skills for note-taking and research paper-writing. But I always took notes, wrote drafts and outlines, and took tests in longhand--legibly and articulately. Taking notes on paper is much more portable and convenient. But it isn't just the writing that was important. Little building blocks depend upon each other and cannot exist alone. There is more on the table than merely learning individual skills. One learns persistence, knowledge as its own reward, a proper attitude to carry through life. The tenacity cultivated by learning mundane skills and then progressive ones--and to follow through with each--enabled me to develop into a person who could complete two college degrees and begin a rewarding career.

Today strangers consistently compliment me on my handwriting. I am a prolific poet. I am also studying my third language: Russian--I have long since learned the Cyrillic alphabet in print and a lot of grammar and vocabulary, and I am now struggling

Today strangers consistently compliment me on my handwriting. I am a prolific poet. I am also studying my third language: Russian--I have long since learned the Cyrillic alphabet in print and a lot of grammar and vocabulary, and I am now struggling with the entirely different Cyrillic italic and cursive alphabets--and I love every minute of the challenge. Mastering foundational and thinking skills yields the ability for more advanced educational pursuits. Woe unto those who find no joy in learning. I pity them. I'm never bored a minute of my life.

Perhaps I was lucky; I found writing and language intrinsically interesting, and I didn't consider it nearly the chore that I considered math, at which I was mediocre at best (but I can still do a fair amount of it in my head, thanks to the banning of calculators throughout my education). But I firmly believe that all of that drilling of printing and then cursive--and subsequent lessons in Spelling and Language classes so lovingly and vigilantly imparted and reinforced in me by teachers (who then had the time to do it)--is responsible for the fact that I am now treated with respect and dignity by people in higher positions than myself, because I can express my thoughts concisely in both written and spoken word. Speaking well stemmed from writing well--I think about what to say. It brings me opportunities that I would have otherwise been denied. I see a light in the eyes of people to whom I speak--because I know how to speak. How lovely it would be if all of our children could feel that from others. It feeds itself. It rewards itself.

Never discount the importance of "old-fashioned", little lessons. Their impact is mighty.