When was the last time you (by hand) wrote a letter?

[porsche930dude]

A few times a year i hand write an address on an envelope. Its hard and scary. I usually mess up but its the numbers that count

[Jeff Higgins]

My father in law worked for the USPS. He passed away a few years ago, leaving my mother in law. Getting his USPS pension paperwork updated to show my mother in law instead of him as the recipient required, by law, a handwritten letter. Not typed on a typewriter, not typed in MS Word and printed, but hand written. No copies either. Unbelievable in this day and age.

[Joe Bob]

I wrote a birthday letter in March to my dad on his 87 b-day......of course no response or call.....

It was bit shaky and my hand cramped up. Of course it could be my arthritis.

[pwd72s]

Pic of the writing style in this article:

https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-palmer-method.htm

[MBAtarga]

I can't read my own writing two minutes after I wrote it. I am an engineer though.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by Tobra

I write letters to patients fairly often, today for example.

Wait what, you're an MD..
You write letters to your patients (not to their pharmacist or GP or specialist)
That don't make sense.

so how does that work?!!?!

dear patient
scribblescribblescriblle scribblescribble scribbleimes
sribblescribllekey scribblescribble scribblek
scribblescribblescriblle scribblether
scribblesriblle scribblescribbletoo
ibbleribblete bribblescribblefu

yours, Tobra

and then printed in the stationary in a computer font:

PS take this to your local pharmacist for translation



?!!?? like that?
oooooorrrrr
i mean.. I'm sure everybody is curious now





EDIT
or are you some kind of MD that is specialized in treating other MD's or Pharmacists? ???
for instance are you specialized in Geriatric Medicine for Retired MD's?

[Evans, Marv]

I've been the most horrible writer from the very beginning. In third grade in 1951, we had to do writing exercises (some of you other old codgers will remember) where we made connected loops that looked like a stretched spring. Mine were all over the place no matter how much I tried. That was the year I was kept after school so much, I started telling my parents I was helping the teacher erase the blackboards & such. That only lasted until my parents talked to the teacher. I sometimes can't read my own writing after week or so, so I was happy to learn to type and also when computers and printers came along.

[Por_sha911]

Cursive is no longer taught in schools. It won't be long until most people won't know how to even read it.

To answer the question: writing someone is so much more personal and intimate. I hope it comes back.

[vash]

We should write each other letters.

For practice. . This can be our safe place.

[pwd72s]

Remembering when some of us pitched in on a school project here...trying to send postcards from every state. Then discovering how hard it is to find postcards these days.

Soon..hand writing will go the way of the cassette tape.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by Bob Kontak

I hand wrote a short note to Seahawk for the Christmas gift exchange. It felt awkward and looked terrible.

Imagine how I felt

It was great, Bob.

The Nuns were rough on my cursive style until I wrote an essay in the 3rd grade in block print, which I have always preferred. Marv was right on the money.

Sister Peter Ellen was shocked: "This I can read. Keep doing it."

I write quite a bit for my company, mostly notes from GTM/Skype/Zoom meetings. I prefer legal pads and felt tip pens to takes notes, much easier than typing for me, plus I can draw in real time.

I turn those notes into minutes for the the record, action items, etc. I keep the legal pads as well.

Nothing says I care more than minutes and action items

[masraum]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

They were taught "The Palmer method"...a method that didn't stick with me. I now wish it had. I was amazed at how legible, flowing, and similar in style the writing of my mother and her friends was.

I developed my own style..easy to read when I was younger. Looked at a song mix cassette I made maybe 4 decades ago...amazed I could write so small yet clearly. Today? Now age 76, with a problem my PA says is a "non specific tremor"? Can't write for beans.

Just in the nick of time came along printers that let me play with font styles and sizes..

Interesting, it emphasizes arm movements rather than finger movements. That explains my issue. All of my writing was done using my fingers (and it sucked).

[Scott Douglas]

I think the last time I wrote a letter was when I was courting my wife. I didn't use cursive though as mine sucks. I used a form of block print, trying to emulate what I used to see on architectural drawings. Today I can hardly write my name. The muscle memory isn't what it used to be I guess.

[Jolly Amaranto]

My cursive was legible but never neat. In 8th grade drafting class we had to print everything and I liked that much better. Plus all my older brother's letters from Vietnam were neatly printed. I thought that was cool so started printing everything. Probably wrote a printed letter last sometime in the 1990s. However, when my kids were in college in the late 2000s, I wrote them post cards all the time so they would have something in their mail box. I also wrote my mom post cards till she passed away in 2007. I usually made my own out of some silly photo that I would print with my computer on card stock. The internet has always been full of goofy photos good for a laugh.

[Hard-Deck]

I wrote a hand letter to one of my INTEL officer’s Mom 2 weeks ago.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by vash

We should write each other letters.

For practice. . This can be our safe place.

image parf with real letters.

Dear poop head.

your insane ranting in the previous letter just goes to show that you are thick as a plank.
Obviously you are dillusional if you think this corona virus isn't a WMD planted by the chinese with the sole purpose of bringing down the Fortune 500.
Furthermore, your support for that pinko commie rapist Biden makes me wanna puke.

not so best regards
instead, piss up a rope will ya
yo mama

[Otter74]

Couldn't send my mother flowers for her birthday in early April, so I wrote her a letter instead. It's a nice habit for people you care about. I used to correspond with one friend in particular via letters until the arthritis in his hand got bad enough that he had to switch to email. I enjoyed it. I do occasionally write letters to friends, and at Christmas time.

[vash]

Originally Posted by svandamme

image parf with real letters.

Dear poop head.

your insane ranting in the previous letter just goes to show that you are thick as a plank.
Obviously you are dillusional if you think this corona virus isn't a WMD planted by the chinese with the sole purpose of bringing down the Fortune 500.
Furthermore, your support for that pinko commie rapist Biden makes me wanna puke.

not so best regards
instead, piss up a rope will ya
yo mama

Oh, I’ll need green fountain pen ink!

[rcooled]

My handwriting has totally gone to hell...I don't even try anymore. I would occasionally write a letter to friends or relatives, but when email came on the scene, that was the end of that. I don't even sign my name to most things any more...just my initials.

When I first started out in the engineering biz, I made all my drawings on vellum and neatly hand-printed the dimensions and notes in pencil. Once CAD took over for drawing boards and T-squares, my printing soon went downhill pretty fast.

On the other hand, my 90-year-old aunt had the most beautiful flowing script I've ever seen. Every letter she sent me was a work of art.

[Bob Kontak]

Originally Posted by pwd72s

Pic of the writing style in this article:

https://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-the-palmer-method.htm

Just called my 84 year old Dad and asked him about the Palmer Method. 15 minute response. Was fun.

He talked about the practice sessions he had to go through, line height on the paper, etc. Then finally how they sent a sample of the handwriting off to the Palmer Institute and a certificate was returned.

He attended a private school and noted public schools did not receive this training but that was small town Ohio in probably '46-47 when he was 10 (if that's the age they taught kids the method). Metro areas may have offered it in public schools.

It was profound how lucid his description was.