Handwriting

I made this list weeks ago of broker offices and their load counts. I came across this page recently and it occurred to me how much my handwriting has changed over the years. I had the typical rounded, loopy, closely spaced writing of a teenaged girl in the 70s. It looks quite different now:

Yes, it looks more like printing than cursive. It's the way I write, though. When
I print, I use block letters with a larger block letter as the capital.

This got me thinking. We're all taught how to write using whatever cursive standard is popular at the time, yet we each grow up to exhibit writing that's unique to each of us. Some changes come about due to environmental changes - think of the notes scribbled in a crazy, fast-paced emergency room - while others are intentional. For instance, when I first started programming, in the 80s, we were required to use a crossed seven, a slashed zero, and an underlined s to avoid confusion with other letters and numbers. That crossed seven stays with me today, and honestly, I wish it were more common here in America. I frequently have to ask Hoss if he's written a 7 or a 1.

Reading up on the subject brought forth web pages about graphology, the "science" (ahem) of interpreting personal traits via handwriting.

Ok, I'll play. So what does my adult handwriting mean?

Slant - Since my writing tends to not slant left or right and remains mostly upright, I tend to be logical, practical, independent, and guarded with my emotions.

Size - I was told as a teen that my writing was large when compared to others'. Other than signatures, we rarely see handwriting any more so I can't say for certain. It certainly isn't what I'd describe as small. Average sized writing would mean I'm well-adjusted and adaptable, and we know that's not the case. I'll have to go with the previous diagnosis, which means that I'm outgoing with a big personality.

Flow - Many unlinked letters and no linked words. Definitely not a flowing style of writing, and therefore I'm definitely not a gushing, eager, social animal. The large percentage of unlinked letters indicates that I'm artistic and conceptual. Take that.

Upper loops - This one's tough, as my letters tend to change depending on the letter that comes before or after them. Sometimes, for example, my lower case L is a single downstroke that curves a bit to the right at the end. But overall, I think I use open Ls and open Es, meaning I am spontaneous, relaxed, open minded, and expressive. Well. Go me.

S - I never make that forwarding loopy lowercase S, because mine always come out looking pathetically stupid. So my cursive S looks like a printed S, meaning that I'm allegedly versatile by comfortably mixing writing styles. I prefer to describe that behavior as rebellious.

Pressure - I don't see indications of heavy, light, or uneven pressure. As a kid, though, I used to bear down very heavily, leaving ghost writing on the following two or three pages of a tablet. I had few secrets.

Lower loops - Some are straight, like the p in Shreveport (impatience); some are cup-shaped and open, like the y in Kansas City and the g in Springfield (non-confrontational); some are full loops with varying pressure like the f in Springfield (energetic, driven, sensuous, and/or insecure). The presence of many varied shapes (bingo!) may indicate that I'm unsettled and emotionally unfocused, which would need to be confirmed by further analysis of other letter structures. I think I'm just lazy and make the fewest strokes necessary.

There are many more indicators that I just don't have the patience to investigate. It is a fun way to spend an hour or two, though.

And in the end, I think my handwriting means I'm just a hot mess with pen and paper.