>> >>>�If they give you lined paper, write the other way.�
>> >>>Bruce Conner
If they give you plain paper, draw lines on it.
If they give you coloured paper, bleach it white.
If they give you white paper, dye so it is coloured.
If they give you textured paper, iron it smooth.
If they give you smooth paper, crinkle it so it is textured.
If they give you handmade paper, pulp it and then remake it in a machine.
If they give you machine-made paper, pulp it and then remake it by hand.
Interestingly (or not) at school my handwriting was even more abysmal than
it is now and I could never write on the line. My writing started on the
line and then just began to go beneath it then up then down etc.....my books
were a bit of a mess really. Suffice to say my teachers were not pleased and
so gave me lines as a corrective punishment. I had to write out 50 times
(for each offence of course) "I must write on the line". But guess what?
Even my punishment lines weren't written on the line, just couldn't do it.
In fact my handwriting only really improved a few years ago when I myself
was working as a teacher with young children. Now I found myself making a
huge effort to write neatly and legibly for them as when I first wrote
things they couldn't read it. After a few months my handwriting really
improved. Somehow I was able to make the effort for these children that I
had been unwilling to make for teachers for my entire childhood.
I tell this story because I guess a little rebellion is necessary in certain
cases but it is also important to know when and where it's necessary. At
school I resented having punishments for things which could have been
tackled in a more positive way. After all, why punish a child for messy
handwriting? Surely you should just provide a few handwriting exercises that
the child could do at home rather than being kept in detention to do lines
and things. To be honest I don't think my school was concerned with justice
since some teachers would also punish you if you got low marks in a test.
Anyway my point is:
If they give you lined paper write the other way as and when you find it
necessary to do so.
cheers,
Sol.
