Graceful, sophisticated script we all learned

Leon

A Story Worth Telling ALDRIDGE

“Here is a golden rule .... Write legibly. The average temper of the human race would be perceptibly sweetened, if everybody obeyed this rule!” — Lewis Carroll

SEPTEMBER 1954, FIRST DAY OF FIRST GRADE IN CROCKETT

Scanning new surroundings from my desk in the old brick school building’s basement, my 6-year-old brain registers everything.

Among the items I catalog are the small horizontal windows near the ceiling, open for ventilation, allowing sunlight, sounds and the smell of burning leaves inside. Also, like classrooms across America, my younger self notes the ubiquitous unfinished portrait of George Washington above the blackboard, flanked by the U.S. flag on one side and a framed copy of the Pledge of Allegiance on the other.

Stretched across the top of the blackboard was one of the basic foundations of education: The universal green chart illustrating the ABCs in block letters, and in elegant, flowing examples of cursive penmanship.

Cursive is that graceful, sophisticated script we all learned to create words for handwritten homework, secret notes exchanged in class and cherished letters to friends and family.

Who could have guessed that September day, way back when, that cursive handwriting would someday become an overlooked skill?

“Holy John Hancock,” I want to cry in disbelief. How in the name of common sense could we be dismissing the high esteem for penmanship? This is skillfully crafted communication representing education, character and refinement. It was, after all, one of the three Rs of learning: reading, ‘riting and “rithmetic.

Some blame the educational system’s Common Core requirements, forcing cursive writing out years ago. Others point the finger at an emphasis on typing skills (excuuuuuse me — “keyboarding skills”) paving the way for educators to quietly toss cursive instruction to the curb.

Trying to heal the void of loss over that lapse in judgment, I decided to immerse myself in research. Surprisingly, what I discovered were recent findings suggesting that cursive, once seen as purely decorative, in its absence is being linked to intelligence.

I ran across a report that stated, “Cursive handwriting can reveal a lot about an individual’s personality. People who write in cursive tend to be creative, artistic and have a strong sense of imagination. They are also often seen as being more emotional, sensitive and in touch with their feelings.”

There are also warnings that current generations could lose a link to their past through historical documents without a knowledge of cursive writing. The Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights and millions of letters like those my father wrote home to my mother from Europe during World War II —a plethora of historical documents — are all handwritten in cursive.

“(We’re) reaching a point where those who cannot read or write cursive (will) lose direct access to these documents, locking generations out of their own history,” one researcher wrote.

If there were any doubts before, research also revealed there exist employment websites already advertising for qualified individuals to “read and interpret cursive written documents” … including the Library of Congress.

My first fountain pen was my link to cursive writing. I’m talking about “stick-your-pen-in- theink- bottle-and-pull-the-lever- to-fill-the-instrument” fountain pens. Also known as “stain-yourshir t-pocket-when-itleaked” fountain pens.

Real ink-pen writing was not only fun, it was fulfilling. More than communication, it was art. Look-alike digital documents vanish into cyberspace. But ink handwritten on paper in stylish script remains with the uniqueness of each individual writer.

Signing my name with my favorite ballpoint on any day is a feeling of creative expression. I have signatures for varied occasions and moods. And my ballpoint is always blue ink — never, ever black. I want my signature to rise above a printed page.

So, I’m happy to report that cursive writing’s future holds hope after all. Some 25 of the 40 states that initially adopted Common Core now require some form of cursive instruction. The reasoning? Neuroscience research indicates “writing in cursive activates brain pathways supporting learning and language development.”

OCTOBER 2025 IN CENTER Sitting in front of my computer ready to craft another column, I grab a yellow tablet. Then a cheap ballpoint pen — a blue one. My blood pressure drops and stress levels diminish with a sigh as I commit thoughts to paper.

In cursive.