The Curse of the Non-Cursive & Other Curses of Current Concern

Do you know this man?*

Curses!  The world is too much with us. Who said that?  I would imagine many young folks don't know.  I had to look it up, but I did remember the quote*.  But that lament precurses mine here.  I recently read that cursive writing was no longer being taught in some schools.  And it is also becoming more and more true that people have trouble writing in longhand, even stumbling while signing their own name!  I admit, I do not write by hand much any more.  I have become so acustomed to typing my thoughts and messages on my trusty Mac.  But as was said long ago by a famous statesman of yore, "It is better to offer no excuse than a bad one."**  I have no excuse here other than convenience and ease of editting.  

Recently I went to the move True Grit with some friends.  We were all wondering how they could remake an American movie classic.  We were all as in vernacular of today goes, blown away.  It was excellent.  But one thing that truly amazed us about the movie was, believe it or not, the dialogue.  The manner in which these inhibitants of a uncivilized and hostile environment spoke was indeed formal and sans contraction, ie: "do not", not "don't" or "will not", not "won't".  The characters spoke with a civility and gentility that belied there education and status.  It appeared someone took the time it would take to teach these folks proper speech and sentence structure.  But I digress.

Another thing I have some to realize with some dismay is that the prediction made in my youth that cash money (dollars, coins, etc.) would someday become a thing of the past.  By cracky, it is happening!  And, believe it or not, the routine handling of money in financial transactions is a dying art.  I recently found myself in possession of some of the greenback paper stuff and took it to the store to purchase groceries.  Now I realize that some of this language is sounding a bit stilted or archaic, but that only reflects how I feel!  I have grown so acustomed to using my debit card for most transactions, I did not recall easily how to enter my Vons' Club number into the ATM and then give cash.  And then counting change and trying to put it into my wallet, I became all thumbs!  Oh the feeling of becoming a member of an quickly passing generation who remembers these things!

So I curse the promoters of non-cursive scribing among us!  It is a curse NOT to know how to put pen to paper and write your signature, let along a letter to family or friends or the local editor.  Somehow becoming totally dependant on texting, tweeting and status updating to communicate is a sad glimpse of the future indeed.  But at least it is expedient.  And I can let at least 283 people if not more know I went to see True Grit at one time...if not more!

*The world is too much with us; late and soon,

Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;

Little we see in Nature that is ours;

We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!

This Sea that bares her bosom to the moon,

The winds that will be howling at all hours,

And are up-gathered now like sleeping flowers,

For this, for everything, we are out of tune;

It moves us not.--Great God! I'd rather be

A Pagan suckled in a creed outworn; 

So might I, standing on this pleasant lea, 

Have glimpses that would make me less forlorn;

Have sight of Proteus rising from the sea;

Or hear old Triton blow his wreathed horn.

William Woodsworth, 

American Poet

(And don't ask me who Proteus or Triton are.  As any father of years gone by would say, "Look it up and learn.")

**This quote was attributed to George Washington, First President of the United States.  I think they still ask students to study some of the US presidents and their contributions to our shared history, but I could be wrong.