Pen still mightier than spellcheck

Our handwriting is an expression of our uniqueness which we should be holding on to. Photo/Stuart Munro

I was enjoying coffee with a friend a few weeks ago when I shared with her how my ability to spell accurately had deteriorated over the past few years.

Could it be brain fade, the onset of dementia or something far more crippling ... techitis?
As I write this column, I realise that I'm not actually writing at all. I'm typing, and therein lies the problem.

I'm not talking about those who write for a living, I'm referring to anyone who picks up a pen and expresses themselves in the written word.

It's a dying art. One that takes years to master, if in fact it can be mastered.

Most of us learnt to write in primary school but our own personal style continued to develop over the years and contributed greatly to our ability to spell.

For me, my writing took on a certain flow. It became instinctual, there was no need for second guessing. I knew by the feel of the pen and the look of the word whether the spelling was correct. It literally felt right.

Now that I'm no longer writing the good old fashioned way there's been a slow visual disconnect that now has me questioning my spelling prowess.

I can't "feel" the words anymore, the grip of the pen, the fluidity of its ink, the look of the letters. It's all been replaced by the tap, tap, tap of a cold, unfeeling keyboard.

Think about it ... we can now go days, even weeks, without ever needing to pick up and utilise a pen and this saddens me greatly.

Will writing continue to be taught in schools in the years to come, or will the kids of the future be further enslaved by techy devices?

Even in early childhood education, will our kids learn to finger paint, hold crayons and felt tip pens or will these simple activities be replaced, too, by elaborate computer programmes where colouring in is done by the click of a mouse?

Will I get the opportunity as a grandma to proudly display my grandchildren's hand rendered masterpieces?

Our fridges and walls may be devoid of real handmade artworks, replaced instead by sterile printouts and images seen via memory sticks.

In five to 10 years time will the school stationery list of old even contain items like pens or exercise books and what will be the roll-on effect of our kids' ability to spell. Will that simply be left to features such as autocorrect and spellchecking?

We have enough issues in New Zealand now with literacy, why would we want to add to them.

When the power goes out and the servers go down and things need to be done "old school" how will they cope then?

And it's not just that, our writing is one of those rare features that is exclusive to us. Forgers can try their best but our handwriting is as individual as we are and in a world where we are increasingly desperate to follow any mindless trend, we should be clinging on tightly to anything that celebrates our uniqueness.

My pen and I had a recommitment ceremony earlier this week. I promised to have and to hold until death do us part.

The prenup took some negotiating but I'm confident I will reap the rewards as my, once, natural ability to spell returns. #dothewritething

Kate Stewart is a politically incorrect columnist of no repute. investik8@gmail.com