Both of my parents had beautiful handwriting, my father in particular. He had taken a business course at some point, and one of the things they taught was cursive writing. Spencerian? I think maybe so. His handwriting was ornate, but eminently readable.

I was taught cursive writing right from the start. I could already print, but my first grade teacher started me out with cursive, and although my handwriting looked pretty good, it was nowhere near as nice as my father's.

Like gnu, I think my handwriting went to pot when I went to work as a draughtsman and production illustrator for the Boeing Airplane Company. All the lettering, call-outs and such, on the drawings had to be in "Boeing Standard Lettering," block letters one-eighth of an inch high. I got very fast at it, and now tend to write notes to myself in a somewhat sloppy version of "Boeing Standard Lettering."

These days, when I sign a check or something, it's readable, but sloppy as hell!

I keep telling myself that I need to stoke up my ancient Parker fountain pen and teach myself how to write again.

I've watched the way kids write these days, and I don't see how they have any control at all the way they've been taught to hold a pencil or ball-point pen. I think they'd destroy a good fountain pen if they ever got their hands on one.

I used to love writing with a fountain pen.

(Do you suppose I could sue Boeing?)

Don Firth