Join Diane, MotherOwl, Mimi and me as we write about writing (ha). Leave your poem in the comments or post on your own blog; if you do the latter, please leave a comment so we can find you. Use the topic or choose another -- the idea is to have fun and work our brains.
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My handwriting is all over the place.
I don't mean I've written on walls everywhere I go! I mean I have multiple styles of handwriting.
There's the "standard" penmanship taught to us in elementary school. There are several everyday styles -- straight-up-and-down, backward slant, forward slant, rounded, and angular -- but what comes out the end of the pen or pencil never seems to be what I intended. Then there's the chicken scratch for notes to myself, and the childish looping that happens when I'm tired.
I would love to have beautiful and symmetrical handwriting, but alas when this talent was being handed out I was apparently either daydreaming or lollygagging or both, and missed getting it. All the practice I've had since then hasn't changed anything.
Legibility is possible if I make an effort; beauty is not.
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P.D.'s Lament
How I wish I could write like my sister-in-law!
Her writing could win a prize.
It's a pleasure to read; it has nary a flaw;
It's easy upon the eyes.
But me? I've the script of a truant,
It's as if I was never taught!
My writing's the pits, and I mean it --
But sadly it's all that I've got :)
 |
See what I mean? |
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And now some funnies unrelated to the topic at hand.
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Wishing you more smiles this week to counteract the stresses of the new version of the world we all live in now.
My handwriting has never been all that neat. For one thing, I'm left handed, so I drag my hand through the thing I've just written, and ink from regular ball point pens will smear.
ReplyDeleteWhich is why I've preferred Pilot extra fine point pens since like forever.
Still, as messy as it can be, I found that my handwriting was another way of being expressive in my journals, and I have never quite managed to get that to transfer to typing.
Then I had a stroke, and my left hand, although much better now, just isn't the same as it was before.
Legibility? Maybe, if I concentrate and don't screw up too much. It makes filling out medical forms kinda dicey.
And speaking of medical, when I first got Dr. Nelson as my primary care doctor, I saw him write a note to the PA in perfectly legible writing and asked him "What's up with that?" He replied that he didn't often conform to stereotypes.
I miss Dr. Nelson.
I hope you're holding up OK through the apocalypse. We just managed a grocery run, and the stores seemed to be in better shape than they were last week.
-Doug in Sugar Pine
I swear Doug is my West Coast doppelganger. I'm left handing and suffer from chronic ink drag resulting in a permanent shadow along the length of my left palm. I also prefer pilot extra fine pens since like forever. I go back and forth between blue and black and buy them by the box full. I had a Dr. Nelson, too. I don't remember her handwriting, though.
DeleteLeft-handers face a whole other bunch of barriers, as you've both pointed out. My mother and brother are both lefties, so I'm aware of those. It wasn't too long ago ('40s and previous, maybe?) that children who preferred using their left hands were forced to use their right; I'm so glad we're not doing that now.
DeleteStay safe, both of you.
More recently than that. I was originally a decided leftie. When I first went to school in the sixties a teacher tied my left hand behind my back. I now find it decidedly difficult to use my left hand for anything.
DeleteOh wow, EC - that must have been incredibly frustrating. How sad. I guess they thought they were doing the best thing at the time, but it was NOT best.
DeleteThere was a time when many educators and parents thought that children who were left-handed should be forced to learn to use their right hands.
DeleteMy dad started school as a leftie but was made to use his right, now he writes with his right hand but draws with his left. Well, he did before he died. My ex-the first was a leftie and two of his siblings, and I have a leftie grand daughter. All are fabulous artists and creative.
DeleteOh thank you for all the funnies! They do help and I admit I am partial to the cat funnies. Your poem is good. I never had the best handwriting either and the older I get the worse it gets. Take care!
ReplyDeleteYes, age is definitely not improving my writing either!
DeleteLove the funnies. For obvious reasons I am particularly drawn to the shadow with its eyes shut.
ReplyDeleteOnce upon a time my handwriting was small and while not beautiful perfectly legible. Those days are gone. Even I struggle to read it some days, so your poem was definitely singing my song.
Just a few days ago I couldn't read one item on my grocery list. It was abbreviated and sloppy and it took me a good ten minutes of wandering around the store to figure it out!
DeleteHow is your very own shadow doing these days? Hope all is well with his health.
The shadow is doing surprisingly well. He is eating, drinking purring, biting, scratching with gay abandon, contrary to the vet's predictions. But then he has always been a contrary cat.
DeleteI'm glad to hear it - except for the biting and scratching part!
DeleteMy writing is all over the place too. I start out neat but by the end of the first line it deteriorates and by the end of the page I don't have a clue what I wrote if I try to read it the next day.
ReplyDeleteLove the funnies :)
I'm glad I'm not alone in this!
Deletethank you for smiles dear Jenny :)))
ReplyDeletei enjoyed each bit of them
i understood your writing before blink of eye and i think it is great and even greater than mine by all means :)
i have one of the worst handwriting in the world i believe and you can't win this one lol
while preparing for my masters i practiced lot to make it comprehensible and this was the reason that i was able to pass my exams
otherwise back in school i was always first when teacher would take oral test but when it had to be written i was always last in the line :(
to be honest i never tried to make it better until i started my studies after marriage
sending love and hugs to you and prays to you and family!
keep treating yourself lovingly !
Maybe handwriting is something we can all practice while we are in isolation!
DeleteTake care, baili!
I like your handwriting, it's legible and has character. It s the handwriting of someone who has written a lot
ReplyDeleteYou are looking at it through a kindness lens, kylie - thank you :)
DeleteThanks for those funnies Jenny. We all could use any excuse for a chuckle during these worrying times. Please stay safe
ReplyDeleteHumour is necessary, isn't it? You stay safe as well.
DeleteCan you make the virus humorous in a poetry? Too soon?
ReplyDeleteMy writing is bad. I was caught between the change from cursive script to printing. My writing is neither fish nor fowl. I love the keyboard because no one can tell how bad your hand writing is. (But they can tell about your grammar and ending a sentence with is, is not great)
A humorous poem about the virus? Soon, soon :) I've seen some pretty funny memes about it already.
DeleteThree of ten Canadian provinces no longer teach cursive writing. Many states in the USA took it out of the curriculum a few years back and are just starting to re-introduce it. I would think that for children who don't learn to write it, they would be unable to read it as well, and it would be like trying to read a foreign language.
Absolutely nothing wrong with your handwriting! You should see my husband's! I always have loved the word truant.
ReplyDeleteWell, good to know people are able to read mine and have seen worse! Isn't it funny how some words appeal to us so much?
DeleteI've been told my beautiful, flowing, curly script is completely unreadable. I've actually had trouble reading it myself.
ReplyDeleteLove the kitties.
LOL, Delores!
DeleteThe writing situation gets better with age. My writing "style" is a very poor form of printing.
ReplyDeleteMany kids are growing up printing instead of writing. You are right in fashion, Red!
DeleteMy handwriting has deteriorated over time. Yours isn’t bad at all.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's not as bad as I thought, but I certainly don't care for it!
DeleteI love the one with the dachshund wearing a spoon! Hilarious! (And clever!)
ReplyDeleteI don't think your handwriting is bad at all. I can read it, anyway! Mine has deteriorated a lot over the years. When I was young it was really good, but I think my coordination is shot now. :/
I think age does make it harder. But when I look at my grandfather's writing from when he was quite elderly, it was amazing how nice it was. Maybe we're all in too much of a hurry nowadays. My carpal tunnel problem doesn't help either - I'm hurrying to finish before my hand goes numb.
DeleteI love that dachshund too - there's another meme where the doxie is wearing a hot dog costume which make him too fat to get through the fence - it's hilarious. Has the bun and mustard and all.
Well done! And your handwriting is just fine, to me. It gets the job done and is legible. You should read what comes from Grandpa, the retired doctor.
ReplyDeleteLoved the funnies, thanks!
Ah, yes, doctors! One could write a whole poem just about that! lol
DeleteHandwriting ... that's the problem child of many of us in these modern times. At least yours is legible. Can you be consistent in your handwriting? That's my problem. I start out nice enough but it turns into scrawling or another handwriting after only a few lines. We lack practice, I suppose.
ReplyDeleteI lack consistency too, at times. And yes, I agree, if we all practiced maybe we'd improve!
DeleteHi Donkey-I like your hand writing. What does your handwriting say about you? Interesting that you mention different styles of handwriting at different times. I'm the same and it seems related to mood and headspace sometimes. I think of my writing as having dissociative identity disorder. The photo of the chihuahua who just got the cat in trouble? That is spot on. Hilarious.
ReplyDeleteThat chihuahua just makes me smile every time I look at him. lol
DeleteGood to know I'm not alone with my multi-personality writing, Chicken!
My hand writing is still decent despite being a lefty thanks to teachers and a mother who demanded practice. Love the sausage dog. Have a sweet day!
ReplyDeleteAnother lefty! Practice is something I think a lot of us could benefit from. Stay safe there, e!
DeleteYour writing is quite nice, Jenny. It is feminine and readable. You are too hard on yourself.
ReplyDeleteWhen I am careful, my writing is not bad. My sisters and I have very similar penmanship and looks like our mother’s, although mine has more curly cues and flourishes. My brother’s is similar to our dad’s. When I am writing fast or making notes, it is scribble and sometimes I can’t decipher it myself. However, if you compare our writing skills to todays’s youth (some of whom have little knowledge of cursive), even my worst is better.
You are so kind, Arleen. And I agree about young folks today - I truly believe not teaching cursive in school is doing them a disservice. What will happen if they want to read their parents' and grandparents' old letters or recipes, I wonder.
Delete"Open your eyes, Jack. Stop pretending you're my shadow!"
ReplyDeletePriceless.
Busted, Jack! :)
DeleteI like your poem and all your funnies. I will see if I can come up with a poem and will return to let you know if I do so.
ReplyDeleteLove,
Janie
Sure thing, Janie :)
DeleteYour handwriting is fine. I don't know why you think it's bad. My daughter's handwriting is so bad that all by itself it would have qualified her for medical school.
DeleteI have a not-a-poem on my blog for Poetry Monday. It's bedtime.
ReplyDeleteLove again,
Janie
dumpedfirstwife.blogspot.com
I've been over to your blog and like your not-a-poem very much. Thanks for joining in this week, Janie.
DeleteI think my favorite meme was the wiener dog with the spoon on its back. I thought your handwriting looked great in case you were wondering.
ReplyDeleteIt looks messy to me! Thank you though. I like that wiener dog too :)
DeleteHAHAHA! I loved the funnies. That is exactly how my younger cat is with the litter box. HAHAHA
ReplyDeleteIt's like they can't get far enough away, fast enough! lol
DeleteI went to school in England, by the 1960s cursive had been scrapped for a plain and simple font. I've always admired the beauty of cursive although I was surprised to see my Canadian born children learning it. I have added some flourishes to my handwriting to compensate.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it nice that once we're adults we get to use whatever style we want? :)
DeleteHave I ever told you how very much I love visiting you here? You are SO clever. And absolutely adorable! I can read my Husby's writing, so I'll bet I could read yours...
ReplyDeleteAnd those funnies! *snort*
And you are so kind, Diane - thank you. And talented! I love your writing!
DeleteI love your poem, and your LOLZ! I used to have quite decent handwriting, but these days I write by hand so infrequently that I'm not even capable of writing "Happy Birthday" without screwing it up. Even though my handwriting is legible, the page (or card) is a mess of cross-outs and write-overs. I love my computer keyboard with its backspace key! :-)
ReplyDeleteOh, I do that too! I thought it was just me and my rabbity mind, always thinking (just a shade too late) of a better way to say what I've started to write!
DeleteAnd that backspace key, yes, best invention ever! Anyone who grew up using a typewriter knows the stress of typing something straight onto paper without making a mistake. Or many mistakes :)