The Tow Files: The Winter of YOUR Discontent!

[siskaren]

Started school writing left handed but in 1st grade (and half of 2nd) I was in a private academy and had a teacher that had the audacity to state that left handed people were possessed by Satan!

Teacher thought all lefties and red haired children were spawns of Satan..just glad I didn't have red hair.

Wow, I'm glad I didn't have teachers like that! It blows my mind that there were people who thought like that in the 20th century! According to my mom, my kindergarten teacher was left-handed, however, there was apparently no such thing as lefty scissors at that time, so I learned to use righty ones, and that is one of the few things I can do right-handed.

[Jester]

I know that a lot of stuff is computerized, and technology has pretty much taken over, but what about teaching the younger generations some form of shorthand? I mean, materials for Pitman 2000 and Gregg shorthand are still around...

I could see shorthand coming in handy...though with the education level of some in this country, I could see people thinking it was Arabic or something...

My mom, who was a secretary for decades, seas absolutely awesome with who shorthand. She actually would leave post-it notes to herself in shorthand, or more commonly, a mixture between shorthand and regular writing, and it got to the point where we could figure out what a lot of them said, despite having no training in shorthand ourselves. Hell, I'm pretty sure Mom still does that, and she's been retired for years.

[Sulhythal]

In some ways, I'm Ambidextrous, but years and years of declaring that I wasn't for reasons I no longer remember HAVE left me with a preference for my right hand. My handwriting with my left hand is atrocious, while writing with my right is merely horrific.

I am not good at handwriting. It's so bad that in school, I had private handwriting lessons. And then they gave up on those and the school system got me a laptop(or what passed for one at the time....) to use instead.

[Mytical]

Wow small world. I too started life left handed. Teacher thought all lefties and red haired children were spawns of Satan..just glad I didn't have red hair. Now my signature looks like a chicken having a seizure after dipping its legs in ink signed it.

[Sapphire Silk]

I always heard that doctors had the worst handwriting. Is this true for nurses as well?

Well, let me put it this way.

You know your handwriting is worse than a doctor's, when a doctor comes to you and says, "Sapphire Silk, your handwriting is a trial to me."

My favorite ER doctor actually said that to me once. What could I say? She was right.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Are you saying you're a natural lefty, but were forced to write right-handed? I am so glad I never had to deal with that crap.

Started school writing left handed but in 1st grade (and half of 2nd) I was in a private academy and had a teacher that had the audacity to state that left handed people were possessed by Satan!

My mom removed me from that environment in the middle of 2nd grade and I was sent to public school, which really wasn't much better. Teachers I had in public school didn't encourage me to go back to being a lefty - not long after I graduated I picked up a pen and started doodling to see if I could recall how to do it.

As far as being a natural lefty, I do use a knife w/my left hand as well as a case cutter.

[MadMike]

And my wife's? You can tell what her initials are, but good luck figuring out her entire name from her signature.

That sounds like my grandfather on my dad's side. You could make out the initial, and the rest looked like a squiggle.

[siskaren]

Left hand, needs improvement. Of course, when you've been in school for 12 years and forced to use your right hand, the left one will be rusty.

Are you saying you're a natural lefty, but were forced to write right-handed? I am so glad I never had to deal with that crap.

[BPFH]

I challenge anyone to forge my signature. Really. It's that bad

My 8th Grade science teacher: "Okay, BPFH, Gretchen, whose is this?"

And my wife's? You can tell what her initials are, but good luck figuring out her entire name from her signature.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

I challenge anyone to forge my signature. Really. It's that bad

I always heard that doctors had the worst handwriting. Is this true for nurses as well?

Mine looks different, but that depends on which hand I have my pen in. Right hand, oh yeah, looks really flowing and feminine.

Left hand, needs improvement. Of course, when you've been in school for 12 years and forced to use your right hand, the left one will be rusty.

That said, if I'm really concerned about forgery, I'll use my left hand.

Here's a couple of pics to illustrate my point. First one is left handed, the second one is right handed.

[Sapphire Silk]

Just wondering, how do you sign things? Often forms ask for the name to be printed, then signed. I often just use my first initial, instead of signing the whole thing.

I write the block print at a slight angle, with the letters closer together. While they're connected, they're not truly cursive style. I write very rapidly this way, but it is not a truly cursive style. When I block print I make an effort for each letter to be distinctly separate and legible. It's more time consuming.

I had a teacher who told us that you can print your name as your signature, if you really want to. It's just that most people do it in cursive because it's supposedly harder to forge.

I challenge anyone to forge my signature. Really. It's that bad

[roxtar]

I went to a private school, and left after 8th grade well able to spell and use correct grammar. Of course:

a) It was 50 years ago.

b) The school is still full of politicians' kids, as it was when I attended (on a scholarship).

I don't know whether (b) is an argument for or against Fireheart's opinion!

I went to private schools from kindergarten through 12th grade. The largest flaws in my grammar are tendencies to over-use ellipses and the passive voice.

I attribute the success of the school to the degree at which parents involve themselves. When I was having trouble in history class or latin class, my teachers contacted my parents and worked out ways with them to ensure I completed my work.
The same thing can happen with public schools, but the teachers often have too many pupils and the parents often treat school like state-funded day-care.

[MadMike]

Just wondering, how do you sign things? Often forms ask for the name to be printed, then signed. I often just use my first initial, instead of signing the whole thing.

I had a teacher who told us that you can print your name as your signature, if you really want to. It's just that most people do it in cursive because it's supposedly harder to forge.

[notalwaysright]

I quit writing in cursive by my 20's, including my legal signature.

Just wondering, how do you sign things? Often forms ask for the name to be printed, then signed. I often just use my first initial, instead of signing the whole thing.

[Sapphire Silk]

I know that a lot of stuff is computerized, and technology has pretty much taken over, but what about teaching the younger generations some form of shorthand? I mean, materials for Pitman 2000 and Gregg shorthand are still around...

I could see shorthand coming in handy...though with the education level of some in this country, I could see people thinking it was Arabic or something...

My high school offered classes in Gregg shorthand. I never bothered. My mother was a secretary and a master of it. It was amazing what she could do with dictation.

It's a lost art form, sadly.

I quit writing in cursive by my 20's, including my legal signature.