How have people reacted to your handwriting, italic or not?

[brokenclay]

Unrelated to fountain pens, in Germany in the 70s, 80s, and 90s if ever I took a pen in hand whoever was nearby would audibly gasp and say, "Sie schreiben links!" (You're left handed!) as if either the devil had just manifested right there in their midst or as if it were fantastically improbable that I managed to function at all. This never happened in the US (or Asia, for that matter) during the same time frame.

 

Related to fountain pens, I had an appointment with a medical specialist at a teaching institution recently, which meant it was me, the surgeon, the surgical resident, the medical student and the medical assistant all together in the examining room. At some point I asked for and wrote down the names of some other specialists, the surgeon said, "Wow, you have nice handwriting!", and everyone had to crowd around my notebook to admire it.

[inkstainedruth]

A friend of ours was born without lenses in her eyes (she has coke-bottle bottom thick lenses, and does not drive at night unless she's familiar with the route.  Apparently, growing up she got dinged for penmanship because she wasn't keeping her small letters below the dotted lines in the practice workbook.  So her parents had a sit down with the teacher and I think maybe also the principal and her dad said "WHAT dotted lines?" (apparently HIS eyesight is even worse than hers ).  And I think at that point the response was along the lines of "Uh, oh, never mind...."

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Rroberrt]

On 8/13/2021 at 11:34 PM, Kamuela said:

2. I didn't know that anyone wrote like that anymore. 

Sad to say,Kamuela, and the same goes for composition and speech in some areas. 

 

Many years ago, the engineering world abandoned pencil-drawn engine designs for ‘Computer Aided Design’.  The talented young automotive draftsman who could ‘draw’ a complete cylinder head in a day, found himself struggling in a maze of ‘Computer Addled Language’.

 

In the end it all worked itself out but we found ourselves dealing instead, with ‘key words’, (which the computer recognizes and guesses where we are going) rather than the orderly phrases, ie, ‘syntax’, we were used to.  “Find the best angle of approach”, became, “Approach angle best”, (a poor example, sorry).  Is the age of syntax passing? 

 

Yesterday I was reading a laptop-computer instruction manual, -good luck! …. I’m not complaining about the difficulties of translation from one language to another, but rather the apparent abandonment of a Subject-Verb-Object approach to language.

 

But maybe the new age of FP’s will inspire a return to the old days of language. Ha-Ha.

[MichaelJY]

I'm a retired Amtrak ticket agent. Back in the mid-1970s, I wanted to try and develop a nice handwriting style, and a good way to practice was to completely fill in all the information on ticket envelopes without using abbreviations. The station where I worked, Charleston, SC, had many repeat customers traveling to the Northeast. After a while, more and more of our regular travelers (whose tickets had been issued by other agents) started turning up at my ticket window with blank ticket envelopes, asking me to fill them in. It finally got to the point where I asked one of my coworkers, "Why am I the only person in this office who can fill in a ticket jacket?" The other agent said, "Well it's your own damn fault, you make them look like wedding invitations with your fancy handwriting, and we've all tried but we can't write like that. People are asking us to leave them blank so they can get you to turn them into one of your works of art."  I had no idea that anyone had even noticed!  Our repeat customers were always traveling to special family events like weddings, funerals, graduations, etc, so I've always wondered if any of my "artwork" was saved as a memento of the trip. I like to think so. 

[ParramattaPaul]

2 hours ago, MichaelJY said:

I'm a retired Amtrak ticket agent. Back in the mid-1970s, I wanted to try and develop a nice handwriting style, and a good way to practice was to completely fill in all the information on ticket envelopes without using abbreviations. The station where I worked, Charleston, SC, had many repeat customers traveling to the Northeast. After a while, more and more of our regular travelers (whose tickets had been issued by other agents) started turning up at my ticket window with blank ticket envelopes, asking me to fill them in. It finally got to the point where I asked one of my coworkers, "Why am I the only person in this office who can fill in a ticket jacket?" The other agent said, "Well it's your own damn fault, you make them look like wedding invitations with your fancy handwriting, and we've all tried but we can't write like that. People are asking us to leave them blank so they can get you to turn them into one of your works of art."  I had no idea that anyone had even noticed!  Our repeat customers were always traveling to special family events like weddings, funerals, graduations, etc, so I've always wondered if any of my "artwork" was saved as a memento of the trip. I like to think so. 

That's fantastic. 

[DvdRiet]

3 hours ago, MichaelJY said:

I'm a retired Amtrak ticket agent. Back in the mid-1970s, I wanted to try and develop a nice handwriting style, and a good way to practice was to completely fill in all the information on ticket envelopes without using abbreviations. The station where I worked, Charleston, SC, had many repeat customers traveling to the Northeast. After a while, more and more of our regular travelers (whose tickets had been issued by other agents) started turning up at my ticket window with blank ticket envelopes, asking me to fill them in. It finally got to the point where I asked one of my coworkers, "Why am I the only person in this office who can fill in a ticket jacket?" The other agent said, "Well it's your own damn fault, you make them look like wedding invitations with your fancy handwriting, and we've all tried but we can't write like that. People are asking us to leave them blank so they can get you to turn them into one of your works of art."  I had no idea that anyone had even noticed!  Our repeat customers were always traveling to special family events like weddings, funerals, graduations, etc, so I've always wondered if any of my "artwork" was saved as a memento of the trip. I like to think so. 

 

That is a wonderful story!! I'd venture to guess that a good many of your envelopes have ended up as keepsakes!

 

[Karmachanic]

When looking at my handwriting people often cover their eyes and scream.

[Inky.Fingers]

I write prescriptions and my prescription keeps getting lost.  Often we had to Fax in a copy to the distributor.  And then, we have a call from the technician asking which font we used to print the prescription and that the signer needs to sign it.

 

We now have to send the prescription electronically.

[JulieParadise]

On 12/29/2021 at 10:11 AM, MichaelJY said:

I'm a retired Amtrak ticket agent. Back in the mid-1970s, I wanted to try and develop a nice handwriting style, and a good way to practice was to completely fill in all the information on ticket envelopes without using abbreviations. The station where I worked, Charleston, SC, had many repeat customers traveling to the Northeast. After a while, more and more of our regular travelers (whose tickets had been issued by other agents) started turning up at my ticket window with blank ticket envelopes, asking me to fill them in. It finally got to the point where I asked one of my coworkers, "Why am I the only person in this office who can fill in a ticket jacket?" The other agent said, "Well it's your own damn fault, you make them look like wedding invitations with your fancy handwriting, and we've all tried but we can't write like that. People are asking us to leave them blank so they can get you to turn them into one of your works of art."  I had no idea that anyone had even noticed!  Our repeat customers were always traveling to special family events like weddings, funerals, graduations, etc, so I've always wondered if any of my "artwork" was saved as a memento of the trip. I like to think so. 

What a great story! Thank you for sharing!

[AkitaMom]

I was at the grocery store and wrote a check. The clerk commented on my handwriting, especially as she noticed that I am left handed! The person behind me had to look, and asked if I did calligraphy. I told the clerk that I was educated at a Catholic school, when being "left handed" was not allowed. I was disciplined by Sister, and went home and told my Father.  He spoke to Sister and Father the next day, letting them know I would be writing with my 'natural hand', and he would not allow me to be struck for doing so.  I was held to a higher standard then, and it carried on.  As far as I am concerned, as long as my handwriting is legible, it is enough.  I love writing with my fountain pens!

[ParramattaPaul]

12 minutes ago, AkitaMom said:

I was at the grocery store and wrote a check. The clerk commented on my handwriting, especially as she noticed that I am left handed! The person behind me had to look, and asked if I did calligraphy. I told the clerk that I was educated at a Catholic school, when being "left handed" was not allowed. I was disciplined by Sister, and went home and told my Father.  He spoke to Sister and Father the next day, letting them know I would be writing with my 'natural hand', and he would not allow me to be struck for doing so.  I was held to a higher standard then, and it carried on.  As far as I am concerned, as long as my handwriting is legible, it is enough.  I love writing with my fountain pens!

Good on your father.

 

I had a similar issue with a teacher and corporal punishment when my sons was in primary school.  I simple word to the headmaster about the possibility of criminal  and civil action for assault and abuse, against the teacher, the headmaster, and the school resolved the matter.

[Audrey T]

On 12/29/2021 at 2:11 AM, MichaelJY said:

I'm a retired Amtrak ticket agent. Back in the mid-1970s, I wanted to try and develop a nice handwriting style, and a good way to practice was to completely fill in all the information on ticket envelopes without using abbreviations. The station where I worked, Charleston, SC, had many repeat customers traveling to the Northeast. After a while, more and more of our regular travelers (whose tickets had been issued by other agents) started turning up at my ticket window with blank ticket envelopes, asking me to fill them in. It finally got to the point where I asked one of my coworkers, "Why am I the only person in this office who can fill in a ticket jacket?" The other agent said, "Well it's your own damn fault, you make them look like wedding invitations with your fancy handwriting, and we've all tried but we can't write like that. People are asking us to leave them blank so they can get you to turn them into one of your works of art."  I had no idea that anyone had even noticed!  Our repeat customers were always traveling to special family events like weddings, funerals, graduations, etc, so I've always wondered if any of my "artwork" was saved as a memento of the trip. I like to think so. 

Very cool story -- love that.

[Audrey T]

When I was in 4th grade, in Switzerland, we were required to write everything in ink (with cartridge pens). Another girl and I both tried to have the tiniest handwriting possible. Finally, the teacher scolded the other girl and told her not write so small, since he had a hard time reading her writing. He didn't say anything to me, so evidently he didn't notice my handwriting one way or the other. His not-noticing was the most desirable response, of course, as it meant that I could go on writing in outlandishly tiny cursive. (I abandoned that obsession after 4th grade.)

 

I used to have a colleague whose ballpoint scrawl was so bad that sometimes I would have to decipher it for him.

[Enkida]

I'm in my 40s, and I learned cursive in elementary school in the US as part of the curriculum.  We had damn tests on how pretty we wrote!   Since moving to Germany and the pandemic happening, I also had to sit down and teach my son how to write in German cursive letter by letter, and have since adopted a fusion style of cursive where I took the letters I like from modern German cursive and stuck them into my US cursive.  It works pretty well and I do write a lot to try to practice keeping it neat.  I also write a lot of block print to practice my lettering "handwriting" as well.  I also have a sister who is pretty much a professional calligrapher.

So, all that being said, when I meet up with my much younger online Dungeons and Dragons group to play, sometimes I share pictures of my handwritten notes, and I universally get told by the 7 other people I play with that I have beautiful handwriting.  Having exchanged letters with my sister on the regular and having been exposed to her group / world of professional calligraphy and art, I absolutely know that my handwriting is pants / bog standard cursive.

I've been living in Germany for over 20 years now so I have no idea what they're teaching people in the US anymore.  I know they're still teaching cursive semi-rigorously in Germany though, so I have no idea what to think about my penmanship.  Besides, like most things, that it's "a work in progress."   I get the feeling a lot of people think ugly cursive is pretty just because cursive is no longer taught in many places, though.

[txomsy]

One word: Panic!

 

Not, seriously, depending on a number of factors it can go from unreadable to just awful. And exceptionally, maybe remotely legible.

[Linger]

3 hours ago, Enkida said:

ISo, all that being said, when I meet up with my much younger online Dungeons and Dragons group to play, sometimes I share pictures of my handwritten notes, and I universally get told by the 7 other people I play with that I have beautiful handwriting.  Having exchanged letters with my sister on the regular and having been exposed to her group / world of professional calligraphy and art, I absolutely know that my handwriting is pants / bog standard cursive.

 

Curious! Is it possible you post a picture with a sample of your US/German handwriting?

[Enkida]

5 minutes ago, Linger said:

 

Curious! Is it possible you post a picture with a sample of your US/German handwriting?

sure, here's one of the pages of notes I shared:

[Linger]

Nice! Very legible, and more European than American. Well, as far as i can tell. Main difference, an obvious difference for me, is the z - that one is clearly different and you have adopted “ours”.

[Detman101]

On 12/29/2021 at 4:11 AM, MichaelJY said:

I'm a retired Amtrak ticket agent. Back in the mid-1970s, I wanted to try and develop a nice handwriting style, and a good way to practice was to completely fill in all the information on ticket envelopes without using abbreviations. The station where I worked, Charleston, SC, had many repeat customers traveling to the Northeast. After a while, more and more of our regular travelers (whose tickets had been issued by other agents) started turning up at my ticket window with blank ticket envelopes, asking me to fill them in. It finally got to the point where I asked one of my coworkers, "Why am I the only person in this office who can fill in a ticket jacket?" The other agent said, "Well it's your own damn fault, you make them look like wedding invitations with your fancy handwriting, and we've all tried but we can't write like that. People are asking us to leave them blank so they can get you to turn them into one of your works of art."  I had no idea that anyone had even noticed!  Our repeat customers were always traveling to special family events like weddings, funerals, graduations, etc, so I've always wondered if any of my "artwork" was saved as a memento of the trip. I like to think so. 

That is absolutely magical!
I know in my heart that someone DEFINITELY kept your work as a collectors piece...somewhere out there.
I hope you signed some of them, it would stink for history to lose track of who the wonderful artist was.

[Detman101]

On 1/1/2022 at 6:39 PM, ParramattaPaul said:

Good on your father.

 

I had a similar issue with a teacher and corporal punishment when my sons was in primary school.  I simple word to the headmaster about the possibility of criminal  and civil action for assault and abuse, against the teacher, the headmaster, and the school resolved the matter.

Rock on!
That's how you handle THAT mess.