Writing: More than a Hobby, it's a Passion
As you know, writing is a passion of mine. My love of writing was fueled by an awe of how words, style, and sentence structure could create something vastly different each time I wrote. My English teachers always encouraged me to continue to get better putting a smiley face in the corner. My mom would also give her stamp of approval when I showed her my latest piece. That love and appreciation of writing is still with me today.
In one of my speech classes, a classmate wrote a blog about how interpersonal communication has changed. I was reminded of the days where my friend and I would write letters. It was almost as if she was closer to me in that letter because I could close my eyes and imagine her writing that letter with the ink flowing smoothly across the page. What were her thoughts at that time? Words kept us connected even when distance didn't.
It's sad to know that kids would rather text than put pen to paper these days. I recently read an article that teachers are trying to preserve the art of cursive writing. The teacher said that now schools stop teaching cursive after third grade. You had to really concentrate when first learning cursive, and I was elated when I finally mastered the h.
As I’m sitting here thinking of my friend and our letters we exchanged, so long ago, I was struck with a simple but complex thought: The mind is not only a memory holder but also a memory maker. How can they be both, you wonder? The mind holds memories just like a recorder. Memories of my first day of college, memories of a group discussion in class that led to infectious laughter ringing loud over any disagreements there may have been. It’s also a memory maker because our mind has the innate ability to weave words together like a beautiful tapestry that’s never ending.
What are some of your passions?
In one of my speech classes, a classmate wrote a blog about how interpersonal communication has changed. I was reminded of the days where my friend and I would write letters. It was almost as if she was closer to me in that letter because I could close my eyes and imagine her writing that letter with the ink flowing smoothly across the page. What were her thoughts at that time? Words kept us connected even when distance didn't.
It's sad to know that kids would rather text than put pen to paper these days. I recently read an article that teachers are trying to preserve the art of cursive writing. The teacher said that now schools stop teaching cursive after third grade. You had to really concentrate when first learning cursive, and I was elated when I finally mastered the h.
As I’m sitting here thinking of my friend and our letters we exchanged, so long ago, I was struck with a simple but complex thought: The mind is not only a memory holder but also a memory maker. How can they be both, you wonder? The mind holds memories just like a recorder. Memories of my first day of college, memories of a group discussion in class that led to infectious laughter ringing loud over any disagreements there may have been. It’s also a memory maker because our mind has the innate ability to weave words together like a beautiful tapestry that’s never ending.
What are some of your passions?
Comments
Better Letters at http://bit.ly/BetterLetters .
It appeared November 10th, and on November 18th it was featuring in the new issue of GQ Magazine (December 2009 issue, p. 128, lower right corner).
So somebody obviously cares about handwriting!