I used to have perfect handwriting. Round letters with good loops and a sweet slant when I learned cursive. I have my school papers to prove it.

But then I got a job as a reporter and everything changed. I discovered I couldn’t write fast enough in a notebook with perfect cursive — and while looking at the person I’m interviewing. 

I could have learned shorthand, but didn’t. Instead, I developed my own system of half-cursive, half-print that served me well for many years. But I admit my handwriting has gotten sloppy.

My scribbling, such as edits on a manuscript, has a quick shelf-life. If I wait too long, I have to guess what I wrote. When I send cards and address packages, I force myself to write slowly.

One of my co-workers told me I have the third-worst handwriting in the building. Phew. It could have been the first.