I’m calling this “graphology,” because I’m no good at titles

Heather is on a business trip (brave woman! only weeks out from a hysterectomy and she’s flying around the country! I stand in awe.) and I (Sharon) am over here posting in her stead.

When I talked to her last night, she said she just had a chance to get her handwriting analyzed, and she didn’t do it.

I was amazed. For me, that would just be the opportunity of a lifetime: having a real graphologist tell me what’s in my handwriting.

I’ve been fascinated with graphology for a long, long time. Any time I see a stranger’s handwriting I can’t help giving it the cursory once-over: is it slanted to the right? to the left? Or is it straight up and down?

I turn the paper over to see how much pressure they applied in writing the words. Can I see the imprint of the characters pushing through the fibers of the paper on the other side, like Braille? If I can, that’s the sign of a forceful, strong personality (or, the person was in a fierce mood at the time).

Because I really do believe that our moods and predispositions influence how we write, not just what we write but how we write it.  I believe that, because we were all taught to write copybook at first, with identical scripts, yet no one (well, almost no one. I can think of one exception in my acquaintance, but she’s a librarian) writes in copybook now.

So, said Heather, why don’t you ever tell me what my handwriting means?

The fact is, I don’t analyze my friends’ handwritings. For one, I’m not qualified: this is just a couch hobby for me. Also, when it comes to friends and family I have a hard time of it. Probably for the same reason that psychologists don’t analyze their own families: it’s hard to be objective.

But also, there’s nothing glaring or cautionary in Heather’s handwriting. In fact, Heather’s handwriting is lovely (though she denies it when I try to tell her so. I don’t think anyone likes their own handwriting). Garland connections between letters like a chain of daisies, indicating a sweet,  friendly personality.

Her handwriting is firm, decisive, but kind and thoughtfully planned, well-formed, temperate.

Sometimes her letters alternate between cursive and print, the sign (I’ve read) of a quick, practical, highly intelligent mind. (Because the mind, while transcribing, is also simultaneously evaluating how to write each letter in the fastest form.)

I suspect that is what the graphologist would have told her, if she’d submitted a handwriting sample last night just for kicks and giggles.

Now if the graphologist had looked at mine….well. That’s another story altogether.

Now come on back, Heather, because we miss you…