23 January 2013

National Handwriting Day

So, it is National Handwriting Day, did you know that?! Do you know why today was chosen? Simply because it is John Hancock's birthday! Some may think it silly to have a day for Handwriting, but as a genealogist, I think it is a good idea! Over the last several years, I have heard much talk about the fact that some schools/areas no longer teach cursive in or about the third grade! WHAT?! Just because computers and other technology is being used more and more does not mean that people should not know how to read handwriting. Ok, so maybe cursive is going by the wayside for current use, but it is not gone yet! AND as long as genealogy exists, which will be FOREVER, it will never truly be gone! Someone needs to be able to read what it says!

Here are a few links with a lot of great information for National Handwriting Day, go check them out:
National Handwriting Day
A Brief History of Penmanship
National Awareness Days
How to Celebrate National Handwriting Day
John Hancock - National Handwriting Day

 Here are a few handwriting samples from my own family...at least I was nice and used the ones you can more easily read! What are they saying here? What memories do you suppose these letters brought them many years later? More importantly, what do we learn about these people in what they wrote? These are all written during World War II...
 This is one of my Great Uncles while he served in WWII...
This is his Brother-in-Law back home...
This is my Great Aunt back home...Brother-in-Law's wife...

Oh, and by the way, it is also National Pie Day, but I would rather sit and read these old letters and learn more about my family than think about something I don't like much, so, maybe next year I will post about that...time will tell! There you have it, this is why I like National Handwriting Day...what's it to you?