Handwritten

In 1988 I started my first salaried job. The nature of the role meant that I had to use a keyboard rather than writing with a pen. The ambient noise of the office was the rattling of old-fashioned keyboards, except in the specific vicinity of my desk where a sound more akin to water dripping off a stalactite could be enjoyed.

Of course, over the years I reached the point where I could rattle along with the best of them but I realised that when I wanted to take notes or sketch out an idea, then I was happier with a (fountain) pen and paper.  Even so, over the last twenty-six years my handwriting has deteriorated to the point that if I'm writing a long sentence, keeping the words and letters tidy and neat is like walking on ice. Sometimes I look at a word I've just written and then go back and write the word again underneath in capitals, just to give myself a chance when I go back to my notes.

I still spend the majority of time using a keyboard, whether it's at work or writing at home, but sometimes an email or even a printed letter just won't do. After yesterday's news, I had a couple of letters to write and they needed to be written by hand. I still drafted them on my laptop and, actually, that enabled me to write more slowly - and legibly! - when it came to making a fair copy. Letters written last night, today I took a trip to the Post Office.