Let's bring back the pen and paper

When was the last time you scribbled something on a piece of paper , let alone write a full document or letter for instance ? Signatures on official documents or on credit card receipts won't cont . I am sure only a handful of hands out there rising in affirmative to such a question . But not too long ago hand written paper was a dominant mode of communication . That was abut a couple of decades back , before the invasion of digital media into our private space . I use the word ' invasion' to emphasize on the rapid shift from pen and paper as the primary means of expression and communication to a strategically placed set of buttons with letters printed on them - the QWERTY keypad or keyboard as we know today .

Don't get me wrong here . I am all for the revolution that digital media has brought in our lives . In fact , without this very revolution , I would not have been able to be writing these words at this very moment with an intention of reaching out to a wide-spread audience out there . It's the convenience of electronics , far reach of the internet and the free platform that all forms of social media provides that has enabled people from across all spheres of life to share their opinions , irrespective of tone and nature .

But do you miss that feeling of your fingers grazing through a sheet of paper while your pen races down it to put your thoughts into words ? Don't you miss the feeling of seeing how artistically you would have stretched the loop in the tail of a G or that long strike you made on the letter 'T ? Even the blotted spots of ink and the strokes of correction had a charm of their own . The personal touch , you can say , that's amiss today . There was a time when one was known by how neat , artistic or messy was their handwriting .

via Google Images

Well , we had proper handwriting classes in our school back in the day . I am not even sure such a thing is taught in today's schools and even if it is ,whether there is much stress on it on part of the teachers or parents . Why would they,  knowing that even primary school students are expected to submit printed assignments now. When everything can be copied , pasted and edited , one can have the luxury of ignorance and being correct eventually anyway. A young mind could do without that luxury . Rather a little bit of hardship in the form of actual 'writing' would go a long way in imprinting the fact that not every wrong doing can be undone ; you have to bear the consequences of your actions

We tend to remember better what we write on paper rather than what we type on a computer or smartphone. In fact , there has been some research on this and it has been proven that traditional way of note-taking yields more benefits than the same done on a computer.

Why would you deprive your child of such an essential habit ?

But yes there are still some of us who enjoy the pleasure , even though occasionally , of putting pen to paper to jot down few lines of random thought or may be even keep a journal . Love letters and greeting cards – how can we forget them?!! The amount of intimacy that a hand-written note brings to a relationship is unparalleled compared to a WhatsApp message or an SMS . But in the rapidly changing dynamics of the dating world and relationships in general , hand -written letters or cards is very much a thing of the past and almost tagged as 'old school romance'.

I picked up a pen myself a few days ago after a long time ; longer than I could remember when was the last time . And surprisingly I did not recognize my own hand-writing and at same time had a tinge of sadness to have noticed the deterioration in  it. To be honest , my handwriting was not that great in the first place but it was still pleasing to the eyes to say the least , something which I could not say of it any longer. But I am not one to shy off from a battle . I kept on writing , scribbling words , random thoughts , mostly out of context . I wrote until my wrist started to ache a little , reminding me of the rustiness that had settled in . As they say , you never forget how to ride a bicycle , the same would be applicable for writing too. Once you survive the initial bumps , the road is one to content and joy.

So why don't you try for yourself . Pick up a pen or even a pencil for that matter and grab a piece of paper . Write a page on whatever is going on in your mind at this very moment . Write about anything and stop not until you fill up an entire page and then some more which I am sure you would be willing to. Let's bring back the pen and paper , at least some of it , enough to salvage the pride and relive the romance .