Writing By Hand
Speaking from personal experience, during two years of compulsory military service far from home in traumatic times, a letter from home brought unimaginable joy. No matter that they often arrived out of sequence, sometimes the previous two or three never even arrived, I would read them repeatedly, feeling the emotions and hearing the voices of loved ones as if they were with me. They brought laughter and tears, with each member of my platoon taking turns to break down or giggle like little girls as they got to the special words in their own letters. This was long before computers and fax machines and tablets and cell phones. These were hand-written notes which somehow still convey intense emotions when re-read 45 years later. Strong, vivid memories of a few stolen moments to re-read, or compose a reply. That ink retains a great deal more than casual words.
Unfortunately, it was ‘normal’ for more than half the camp to not receive word from home. The disappointment was palpable and relatable – I was far too often amongst the group of dejected and heart-broken young men.
To cope, we would share our letters amongst ourselves. It probably sounds strange, but it helped a great deal to read a fellow soldier’s letter from a family or loved one who we had never met, nor would we ever meet. But the stories were often the same, the same emotions were felt, revealing stark similarities from people from remote and dissimilar environments. We were from all walks of life, from all over the country, thrown together in random chaos, yet our letters were surprisingly similar. We needed and felt a connection.
Such is the power of the written word.
If we examine our handwritten notes, they may reveal emotions that we felt at the time of writing them – the hesitation before choosing a specific word, the confidence of a bold signature without doubt, the way you exerted more pressure on certain words, as if the page can replay the moment.
When we write by hand, we leave more than words and thoughts behind. We leave evidence that we were there, present. Every stroke carries meaning, not simply a record of what you wrote, but how you arrived there, the pace of your thoughts, the stillness or urgency of the moment, your private emotions, the tone of your message. Read them after years, and you will still recall your connection to the ink and the page.
No screen can do this. No predictive text and no spellcheck can achieve this.
To prove my statement, write a short, hand-written note to someone dear to you. It can be anything – “I Love You”, or “Glad you’re here”. Fold it over and write one word on the outside: – “ Darling”, or “ Babes, or “ My Special Person“. Something like that – you get it.
Drop it on their lap as you calmly walk by.
Now send an electronic message with the same wording.
Guess which one gets the best response – I needn’t tell you.
And here’s the best part: Fast forward ten years and discover this note at the bottom of a drawer. When reading it, the same emotion will be felt, those memories return you to the original moment. The text message will be long gone.
A typed sentence looks the same as the previous one, whether written in joy or grief. A hand-written letter reveals the human behind the words and can feel like a voice reaching across time. Ink holds the imprint of a moment exactly as it was, neither edited nor revised, with crossed-out errors and ink smudges – no matter; once ink touches paper, it commits. It says this matters enough to say: “I have struggled to find the words, but I hope you get it”. There is a bold courage in committing ink to paper by hand, because it somehow feels more personal and real, revealing more than the shapes of the letters, one’s personal handwriting makes the connection.
Writing by hand accepts that not every word must be perfect, only honest. Written with intention and the courage that the ink brings permanence to the page. Perhaps this is its quiet gift, teaching us to honour the process and value the outcome.
So I’m asking you to simply pick up a pen and write, you may just like it, and the recipient will value it.
Oh, and the pen of choice at the time? The indestructible BIC Orange Ballpoint Pen – most likely….
