I was copying my short story ideas into my notebook, which I like to take along with me for easier reference (no tabbing between documents or if I wanted to focus on working on short story ideas, outlining, etc. I don’t have to pull out the laptop or open any word processing program), but my arm was getting tired from just copying down a page. I admit, my upper body strength needs some work (Who knew that when I got into university and decided to try and find cushy, less manual-labor intensive jobs like tutoring, I would be letting my arm muscles atrophy even as I got a couple of extra dollars in pay per hour? Oh, the sacrifices one must make.) but I thought I was better than that.

Granted, people have called me “violent” when it comes to my handwriting. I think it’s because while many people seem to write using their wrist, I write with my whole arm. I don’t move my wrist to make the letters and then move my arm down the page, I use my whole arm for the letters, too. Classmates used to complain when we sat at the long tables (they were particularly popular in classes that believed a circular or rectangular set up promoted “classroom unity” since everyone had to stare at everyone else) and I would shake the whole thing writing the way I did. Another problem is I grip the pen pretty tightly. I don’t know why I do this. I also keep my face close to the page or even pillow my head on my other arm so I look at what I’m writing at a slant. I’d like to say this keeps me more connected and focused with whatever I’m writing but the truth is probably a mixture of bad eyesight and laziness.

I guess the image I just painted above makes me look like some flailing, shaking fool when I write on paper. Maybe I do look like that. John says I always look like I’m concentrating really hard, he even said sometimes I get a slight frown on my face. I know my endurance for handwriting has lessened since I began note-taking on the laptop (a necessity in the last few semesters when lectures suddenly became more boring yet with more info-dumping, and the teachers began talking faster.) since most my handwriting was being done trying to keep up with a teacher while taking my meticulous notes (no shortening of words and meanings wherever possible and different colors for headings versus the actual notes, otherwise going back over my notes was a chore and a lesson in patience).

I think I better start writing more in my journal and my notebooks. I need to build my endurance up again (cue “Eye of the Tiger” and montage ala Rocky-style).

11:39 pm | Category: Journal, Writing | |

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