As a calligraphy aficionado, it saddens me to think that penmanship is no longer a valued skill. For many, it is considered a dying art.

Recently, I joined an online forum where people from around the world post their handwriting for general feedback. It was astonishing to see how many people were unable to read cursive writing. I’m not talking about the ones with curls and flourishes. I’m talking about standard cursive writing that used to be taught back in elementary school. It begs the question: “In today’s digital age, will penmanship become obsolete?”

Nowadays, people are moving from pen-and-paper to screen-and-keyboard. With the computer allowing us to write faster and erase mistakes easier, typing is the clear winner when one has to choose between the two. Pen is out, computer is in.

Still, typed documents lack one sufficient thing: intimacy.

There is a sense of impersonality when you read a typed letter versus a written one. For me, personally, receiving a handwritten letter feels like receiving a part of the sender. You can get a sense of the writer’s thoughts and feelings from their writing alone. Is the writing rushed? Is it sloppy? Is it written with care? How high are the bars in their T’s? How round are their O’s?

I don’t know about you, but emojis are not enough to convey one’s emotions no matter how cute they are. Saying that, I do love using LINE stamps.