It’s interesting to think that there are certain things that are becoming lost all because they seem unnecessary in today’s day and age. There are a number of things that this generation will never have to experience or learn how to do. Personally, I still think some of these things are relevant, but others might beg to differ.
One of the things that surprises me is that cursive isn’t taught in school. I know it depends on the school because some still do teach it, but it could be considered a lost art. I used to love filling out the cursive workbooks. I had my favorite letters to write, and it was a genuinely fun part of class for me. Now, everything is in print. If someone is asked to write their name/signature, they’re most likely going to write it in print. I, on the other hand, am conditioned to write my name in cursive which is much quicker and prettier than my print for the most part. This is not to say that I always write in cursive. I typically just use cursive for my signature or if I’m feeling fancy. I still think it’s an important skill to learn because many people can’t read cursive as a result of not being able to write it. This could be a problem because many historical documents are written in cursive and some of the older generations only write in cursive. It would limit their connection to the past.
Similar to cursive, not everyone can read roman numerals. I feel as though roman numerals fall under a very similar category as cursive and for the same reasons. Not knowing how to read roman numerals again severs the connection to older generations. For example, many older pieces of literature include roman numeral page numbers so they wouldn’t be able to tell what chapter they’re on.
Sticking to the writing theme, no one writes letters anymore. Mail in general has definitely seen a decrease over the years as many letters are easily turned into emails or text messages. There’s something special about handwritten letters. I think there’s more of a personal connection and more intention, especially if they’re written in cursive. I still hand write letters. Are they addressed to older relatives? Yes, yes they are but that is beside the point. I hand write letters to people in my life who I love and value. I put effort and time into the letters that I write in order to express my thoughts for whoever I’m writing to. They’re also really fun to keep and look back on. I think I still have letters that I’ve received from one of my best friends in grade school.
The loss of all of these can be blamed on the digital world that we now live in. Lots of paper-related forms of communication aren’t needed and depended on as they once were. I just hope that these things aren’t completely forgotten. We can continue to develop but don’t forget where we started.
Photo: Annie Spratt