Today I found out that the keyboard has become mightier than the pen.
I had to send a mail. I could have typed the letter out and mailed it. But I chose to write as it was hardly a big one. And I discovered how worse my handwriting (it is illegal to call that; more of a scrawl) has become. My letter looked like crazy lines in sand caused by chickens running through it.
Even before, my handwriting was not something to write home about. But this was a nightmare even for me, to read back what I had written. I only hope that the person whom I sent the letter is well versed in hieroglyphics. If my letter is intercepted by someone, they will find it a tough one to crack. To my knowledge, a code is one which has a logic in its encryption. This cipher of a mail had no logic in either form or substance. The same alphabet got written in a different manner each time. Figure that out.
My letters were running across the page at a manic speed in different directions not unlike a riotous crowd scattering on being tear gassed. Or like the behaviour of the suburban train crowds of Mumbai and Chennai on reaching the terminal.
How addictive our (the plural is intended to spread the guilt) life has become to the machinations of the machines!
I believe in a future not so distant, the "hand"writing as we know would become non-existent. More and more speech recognition software makes me see a future where our fingers would be mere vestigial fixtures evolving into forks for holding objects. Without even our realising, we have submitted ourselves to the comforts of email and IM. Maybe I'll IM my friend what I wrote!
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6 comments:
Maybe this might comfort u....Im in the same boat as u as regards handwriting!
*lol* that's my thoughts exactly. When I first came to the US I used to send 8 page long letters to my Mom and my in laws. Every week! Written in long hand. The writing over time started getting indecipherable, scrawl-ish and the letters got shorter till they ceased to exist. Now when I am signing birthday cards I wish I could have written it out on the computer because I can barely read what I wrote myself!
lol! My handwriting has kind of changed, but not too bad yet
@hastobeme - I know that I'd touch a chord.
@m - 8 page letters!! When did you come here first? Eighties?
@shankari - You can judge mine for yourself. :-)
You can take comfort from the fact that similar protests were launched when handwriting replaced hand gestures :p. You can see this erratic stamp, on occassions, when people show three fingers for four dollars!! funny post, good one JC!
Had a lot of time. And a lot of things to say about the new country/ culture/ people :)
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