The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence has been on my mind lately for a lot of reasons. I took a train into Philadelphia over the holidays and walked around the historic sites where it all happened. I even saw the grave of Ben Franklin, the first Postmaster General of the United States (and a great printer/publisher), who was one of its drafters and signers. But the most prominent and famous signature on the document belongs to John Hancock, whose birthday is tomorrow, January 23. Not coincidentally, it’s also National Handwriting Day.
I’ll be the first to admit that my handwriting has always left much to be desired. Despite the best efforts of the good IHM sisters at my Catholic grade school, I never quite got the hang of the Palmer method. But it was good enough for taking notes, as well as writing letters, thank yous, invitations, birthday cards, etc. for years. Unfortunately, it’s a habit that I got out of after college.
Let’s face it, digital makes keeping in touch so easy. And so transient as well. Texts and emails? Nope. Gone, mostly. But I have letters and cards in boxes that I pull out every so often, going back 20 years or more. So many with stories and snapshots of good times and sad times with family and friends. As the folks at GrayHair Software say, “The Postal Service is the original social network.”
Read the rest of this feature on Printing Impressions, a publication of PRINTING United Alliance, ASI’s strategic partner.
