{"id":2258,"date":"2017-08-31T01:01:31","date_gmt":"2017-08-31T01:01:31","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/?p=2258"},"modified":"2017-09-01T23:59:03","modified_gmt":"2017-09-01T23:59:03","slug":"written-word","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/2017\/08\/31\/written-word\/","title":{"rendered":"Written word"},"content":{"rendered":"

When I was a kid, my parents got me a book on calligraphy and my sister a book on origami. \u00a0We swapped and she has beautiful handwriting – and I can fold paper.<\/span><\/p>\n

My own handwriting, though, is pretty terrible. \u00a0I\u2019m glad I can type or I\u2019d be in a lot of trouble. \u00a0My handwriting – even printing – is tough even for me to read most of the time. \u00a0And if I\u2019m in a hurry, well, I might as well not even try.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, I\u2019ve decided to do something about it.<\/span><\/p>\n

I bought a \u201cHomework Helper\u201d Handwriting Practice Workbook – Grade 1. \u00a0It has tear-out pages and careful instructions on the printed letters – one letter per page – with both capital and lowercase examples. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

I sharpened a number 2 pencil and set to work. \u00a0So far, I\u2019ve gotten through \u00a0\u201cJ\u201d and I\u2019ve learned a couple things.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. I grip a pencil too tightly. \u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n
  2. I disagree with their instructions for an \u00a0\u201ce\u201d and the \u00a0\u201cI\u201d. \u00a0I’m fine with the “o”.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. I just need to slow down.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    And, really, that\u2019s the key. \u00a0I just get going too fast and my poor hands can\u2019t hope to keep up with my brain. \u00a0Slow down the brain, slow down the hands – and the writing improves.<\/span><\/p>\n

    I plan on finishing out the lessons and the bonus sentences at the back. \u00a0It\u2019s a little silly, but there\u2019s something to be said about going back to basics. \u00a0Even if that means first grade.<\/span><\/p>\n

    —————-<\/span><\/p>\n

    There\u2019s a book I\u2019ve read – maybe 20-30 times – called “Snow Crash” by Neal Stephenson. \u00a0It\u2019s one of the best books I\u2019ve ever read and for a while it was my \u201clunchtime\u201d reading. \u00a0I\u2019d read while I was eating and if I finished the book before I was done eating, well, I\u2019d just start the book over. \u00a0It\u2019s that good.<\/span><\/p>\n

    So, I heard about some folks recently who only read books once. \u00a0\u00a0One filled up and then essentially abandoned a Nook and the other would read (and dog-ear – shudder) paperback books while traveling and then just leave them behind when done.<\/span><\/p>\n

    Wait, what?<\/span><\/p>\n

    I was, well, flummoxed. \u00a0\u00a0How is that even possible? \u00a0Now, that\u2019s not to say that I haven\u2019t read any books only once. \u00a0Some of them are pretty terrible and I make it a point to finish them and then see to it that they get put back in the system – either donated or sold – so that someone else can give them a try. \u00a0But that\u2019s the exception. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Which is why one room in my house is a library. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    There have been books where I settle into a second reading like a snuggie. \u00a0It\u2019s warm and inviting and it fits me just fine. \u00a0The characters are old friends of mine and their adventures as familiar as my drive to visit my folks. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Some books unveil hidden depths on a second or third reading. \u00a0Nuance that I missed the first time around is suddenly clear and intricate.<\/span><\/p>\n

    And some series beg – no, demand – to be read from the start each time a new book comes out. \u00a0Less a series than one really big amazing book.<\/span><\/p>\n

    To read just once? \u00a0Flummoxed, I tell you. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

    Flummoxed. <\/span><\/p>\n

    I also know a couple people that don’t like to read at all. \u00a0We’re still friends, somehow, but I’ve considered “force-reading” them.<\/p>\n

    Flumm. Oxed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    When I was a kid, my parents got me a book on calligraphy and my sister a book on origami. \u00a0We swapped and she has beautiful handwriting – and I can fold paper. My own handwriting, though, is pretty terrible. \u00a0I\u2019m glad I can type or I\u2019d be in a lot of trouble. \u00a0My handwriting […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_exactmetrics_skip_tracking":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_active":false,"_exactmetrics_sitenote_note":"","_exactmetrics_sitenote_category":0,"_bluesky_dont_syndicate":"","_bluesky_syndication_accounts":"","_bluesky_syndication_text":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2258","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2258","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2258"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2258\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2261,"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2258\/revisions\/2261"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thunderofwade.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}