Writing... and WRITING...

It has been almost half a year since I put my proverbial pen to paper. As a result the blog has suffered stagnation. I finally decided to rouse myself up (with the help of a few friends who kept prodding me regarding why I stopped writing here). This time I am quite literally putting the pen to paper, that too in a beautiful environment. And it is some experience!

I don't remember when the last time was, that I wrote something sizeable using a pen and paper - definitely not after college. The only time I use pen and paper now a day is to take down a few telegraphic notes during meetings at work. Otherwise, it’s the keyboard and the computer with its ever-blinking cursor.

My handwriting has definitely atrophied with the extended period of disuse. It looks pitiable, (and for those who know my hand) even more so than what it was to begin with. The speed at which I write is quite ludicrous. I remember that in 5th grade, when my teacher would dictate notes for us to write, all the students used to have a race as to who would finish first. I believe any of those 5th grade kids can beat me now.

Despite all this, I loved the feeling of writing with the pen. Some of you may wonder what the simple act of writing a few words may be loved for. For one – you think before you write when using a paper. In a computer, you just type things as they come to your mind and then edit them to suit your purpose. But there is pleasure in the framing of thought – letting it take shape, grow and settle in the mind – before you let them out. It is an intellectual foreplay without which writing is nothing but a routine.

And then looking at my own manuscript despite its inherent illegibility, struck out words and corrections is a treat to the eye and the mind as compared to a white screen with uniform black letters which are all perfect and flawless. No matter how crooked and illegible my handwriting may be, I still find it more beautiful than the typed text.

To top it all off, the location I chose to try my penmanship was perfect. I got out of my house early and came over to the lake near my house. I am sitting on a bench, facing the lake and the strong cool breeze flowing from it and writing my mind out. The experience is totally, undeniably serene.

PS: This was written in paper and then typed out for the blog.