Does handwriting even matter anymore?

As an impressionable young teen working at my dad's office, I took great pride in being complimented on my handwriting.

It's so legible.... Anyone can read this!....This message is so neat.

Yes, it is entirely possible that his employees had nothing better to say about me. Still, I chose to see the glass half full, and go with that great handwriting skill and and run with it.

So, what's an orderly mother to do when her child doesn't write well?

Not so nice to say, but it's true. My son's childhood has been filled with such remarks as:

I can't read this. You're going to have to do it over again.

and

You should be a doctor with handwriting like this!

Having heard no unpleasant comments of late, I assumed it had improved--until today, when I received a call from the school counselor's office.

They couldn't quite make out his social security number and couldn't process his request for a work permit without verification. They couldn't tell if the digit in question was an 8 or a 0.

Seriously?!@ I told him to make sure he completed all those forms neatly, that the last thing he wanted was for his retirement money to go to someone else! Because he is so tight with his dinero, I have to assume this was his version of neat.

Not that I'm blaming, but it's all my husband's fault (as are all my kids' flaws:>). If handwriting were a language, you might say my husband writes in Spanglish--two different styles meshed together to form words.

His printed block-style letters are all connected together. It really is a mess. Even so, he's managed to do all right in the world. Even has a several patents in his name.

Seems everything nowadays--from texting to term papers to business proposals--is done electronically, so should parents really worry over a child's lack of handwriting skills?

Unless you're filling out that rare job application by hand or your cursive is being analyzed in a murder/kidnapping investigation, does handwriting even matter anymore?