Scanning through the paper over the weekend, I saw an article drawing attention to a very special day. National Handwriting Day on January 23rd. Seriously, such a thing exists. The Writing Instrument Manufacturers Association established the holiday in 1977. It is true; stationers and corporate America thought a promotion of pens, pencils and paper would line their pockets with cash.
But who am I to judge? I celebrated by penning an entry into the posterchild of the manual craft of writing. A Moleskin narrow lined black journal. It was about as boring as the one the day before and all the entries last week. No matter. Something about writing comforts me. It might be the slower pace that I find medicinal. It allows my thoughts to ruminate in my head as I manipulate the pen to make the proper strokes.
Late in the day my excitement waned. Overshadowing this most important of Days, another “National” day was getting all the attention. January 23rd is also National Pie Day. Just a child, established in 1986, the Day of pies clearly takes advantage of modern weakness to sweets. There might have been a day long ago that people ranked writing as equally important to human existence as pies, but no longer. The youth want pie.
I just hope the irony wasn’t lost when you kids ordered your piece of pie and your waitress at the local diner wrote it down on a pad with a pen. Yeah, who’s laughing now. National Handwriting Day gets the last laugh afterall.
Run in Peace, Rest in Grace
