I was sitting in a meeting the other day and decided I needed to take some notes . My memory isn't the worlds best, so if I think there is something worth memorializing, I will take notes.
Typically I will just use my PDA or Laptop . I can touch type pretty fast. I can thumb type on my Sidekick almost as fast as I type using all 10.. Then when Im done, I email the notes to myself and I have a permanent, searchable record of the meeting. I've been doing this for so long, I can pretty much type as fast as I think
This particular meeting for some reason I couldnt go the digital route so I can had to go 1900s and actually handwrite my notes.
What a disaster. I couldn't write.
I literally couldn't take notes fast enough because as I wrote, I realized I couldn't read my own writing. Not only could I not read my own writing, when I tried to slow down so that everything would be legible, I realized that actually writing each letter as part of a complete word was actually difficult
I had forgotten how to write. Sure i could fight it out by going slowly. Very slowly. But any skills I had that used to enable me to quickly write what I was hearing or what my thoughts were, had left me.
Am I alone ? SHould I start a self help group ? Should I take a class with 5 year olds to relearn ???
Is writing with a pen on a pad of paper not like riding a bike ??
I Forgot How to Write !
Recent Posts
Reader Comments
(Page 2)22. This raises the question of education.
Look how much time is spent in elementary school doing something that the next generation may never do.
Probably better to teach junior QWERTY rather then printing/cursive
(maybe better to start training their speech recognition program)
Posted at 4:11PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Patrick Rankin
23. I agree with an above poster who is also a college student. Every semester after a little time off my handwriting is complete garbage. In about a week its like riding a bike, your hand quits hurting and it starts to look legible again. Instead of a self help group how bout a group that helps us college kids out with free laptops??? Where do I sign up?
Posted at 4:14PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Andrew
24. Heh, Mark, you're not alone ;)
Posted at 4:14PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Russian women
25. Wow.
So, if you can write with both hands, you're called ambidextrous.
If you can write AND txt AND type on your PDA, all in a coherent fashion, can you be considered tribidextrous?
If so, then I will admit, nerdly, to be in that rarified group.
Go Explorers.
Posted at 4:14PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Chuck
26. I've been a computer programmer, and at home computer nerd for a long time. When I wound up having to write something, not only was it illegible, by my hand was sore at half a page. It's great reading that I'm not the only one.
Posted at 4:18PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Kirk
27. Interestingly there is an industry segment (healthcare), approx 400+ of such businesses exist in DFW alone, which takes care of thousands of old people in DFW (may include many of your folks). All of this clinical and non-clinical information is handwritten in paper. The scariest part is, this handwritten information is read and interpreted to make decisions on care provided.
We know this because we have launched a well-received business service to eliminate the handwriting part and improve quality of care in this industry.
Approx 150 years ago the CEO's solved the handwriting issue with a long forgotten but still used tool - Stenotype/shorthand (225 WPM average).
I believe the best way in this fast world is using quick voice memos and getting it converted to text.
Posted at 4:38PM on Aug 11th 2007 by k7
29. a hand can't move as fast as the brain for most, and if your hand moves faster than your brain then you should work at he dmv.
Posted at 5:16PM on Aug 11th 2007 by jordan blum
30. Take a class with five year olds, I'd pay to see that :-)
Posted at 5:19PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Ash Haque
31. What! Who takes notes? I can't read my own writing! But I can type 107 words a minute! I keep reading about this voice recognition devise. I can't wait to have it in my pda to take my notes for me.
Posted at 5:26PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Mary Clemente
32. something im think i forgot how to write with the pen :( most of the time im typeing
Posted at 5:28PM on Aug 11th 2007 by garry lachman
33. I'll actually sit and daydream during meetings.
Posted at 6:04PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Dave Foster
34. You're not alone. I go through this at the start of every semester. After being off almost four months, it takes me a couple weeks to get used to writing again.
Posted at 6:50PM on Aug 11th 2007 by mavericks shirt
35. Writing notes with a pencil and paper is so yesterday, as my kids keep reminding me. I never did learn to write in script, so I always printed. Now I can't even read my own printing, so If I don't bring my palm along, I might as well not go. I don't think my kids can write either, so I don't feel to bad.
36. Same here, I even skip/forget letters and write things like "sreet" instead of "street" and so on. Some kind of keyboard induced dyslexia I guess ;)
Posted at 7:12PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Per K
37. Yes, we have all been there. I am surprised it has taken you this long to figure it out. I think this shows the kind of life you lead. You are constantly connected and you always have the best equipment. The rest of us (yes even at the executive level) are reminded of our penmanship ineptitude every month or so. It doesn't mean we are better off, just more aware;-)
As long as we still can write, I think it's no big deal. I wouldn't want to be in a situation where I had to write and couldn't at all, but the fact that I am lousy at taking hand written notes in a meeting doesn't worry me much. If I remember correctly, I was a pretty lousy note taker before computers came along. Any way you look at it, I'm better off.
That said, I still want my kids to learn penmanship. Call it a technology depression mentality, but you never know (said in a Yiddish accent).
Posted at 7:59PM on Aug 11th 2007 by shamelessjames
38. hire somebody, screw the class. youve got the money. (i come cheap) lol
Posted at 8:20PM on Aug 11th 2007 by matthew mann
39. Mark, I have experienced this once or twice myself. There are two solutions; 1) never be without your laptop or PDA, or 2)ask the presenter to send their presentation/notes to you after the meeting.
My memory is really good so I amost never take notes. If I can't remember it then it obviously wasn't that important to me.
I wouldn't reccomend the class with a 5 year old. They know everything...just ask them.
Don
Previous 20 Comments | Next 20 Comments
21. Handwriting and typing are about equal for me, although starting from a blank page tends to be a little easier when looking at pen and paper, as I'm less likely to be distracted by instant messenger, incoming emails, and the tendency to aimlessly surf the web. I certainly do miss spell check and right-click thesaurus whenever I've been forced to work with solely pen and paper though.
Posted at 4:08PM on Aug 11th 2007 by Daniel Wayne Johnston