Building Bridges by Kathleen M. Dickinson, CGA
 

Those who love the oldies (as well as those who actually go back that far) know that in late 1959 Johnny Preston had a hit with "Running Bear". The song told the story of an Indian Brave who loved Little White Dove, who belonged to a tribe at war with Running Bear's. Despite this obstacle, all that separated the two would-be lovers was a raging river.

 I recently did a handwriting analysis presentation for a group of visitors to Las Vegas.  One quality that I noted in about 10 percent of the visitors was something graphologists refer to as “rivers”.  It is a large space that occurs between words in the writing.

 I personally refer to it as ‘Plexiglas Shields’.  In other words, the writer believes he/she is connecting to others and he/she believes they are connecting to them, but the reality is there are these invisible shields or walls between the writer and others. 

 There can be several reasons for this ‘isolation’.  One woman that I spoke with about her ‘rivers’ agreed and revealed she believes the reason is due to her recent loss of hearing in one ear.  We discussed this further, how the loss of hearing is causing her to lose confidence in her social skills, and how she is staying home more and more.  When she does go out, she tends to remain quiet rather than initiate conversation, as she had once done.  I suggested that she take a lip reading course and she lit up at that, as she had not considered it a possibility before. 

A young man in the group also had ‘rivers’ in his writing.  His rivers were occurring for an entirely different reason.  He had been married about 5 years and he has a 1-year-old child.  Life changed after his son’s birth.  He adores his son, however he is not using his communication skills to further his relationship with his wife.  Instead, he ignored the growing chasm between himself and his wife; she began asking for more of his time and asking for his participation.  He became angry and the walls went into place, probably on both sides.  They are now headed towards divorce.  Marriage counseling could probably help them get back in touch with each other, their selves and their goals. 

 A young woman I spoke with is isolating herself.  She is a very bright girl in her late 20s.  The thinking processes in her handwriting show that she would be excellent in business, training, public relations, marketing and sales.  However, there is something holding her back from manifesting her talents and she is developing ‘rivers’ which will hold her back from her success.  She believes it may be a fear of success, or a fear of taking responsibility. 

Another young woman’s handwriting showing the ‘rivers’ indicated that she had been kept overly protected throughout her life.  She was lacking in social opportunities in school and at home to build her confidence and her interaction skills. 

You can see where people who suddenly lose a sense, or a partner, or have a trauma occur can become isolated especially if they do not have supportive friends, colleagues or family.  Sometimes family and friends do not know that the person with ‘rivers’ needs their help.  People can inadvertently say things that lack compassion or understanding thus causing the ‘rivers’ to get wider. 

 The key thing is, be aware of your connections with your friends, family, and colleagues.  Be gentle with yourself and others.  Ask for help when you need it, and offer it to others. 

Running Bear and Little White Dove decided that being together, even in the "Happy Hunting Ground", was worth overcoming the river. Our "rivers" start out as trickles but can become uncrossable. All it takes is our inattention.

Notes: One characteristic does not mean anything by itself.  It is important to synthesize everything that is in the writing i.e., the depth, slant, margins, other qualities etc.  So please do not tell people that you “know” they are “this” or “that” because of anything you read in a handwriting analysis article.  It is important to study handwriting analysis in depth to really know all the qualities that go into evaluation. Musical reference in this article provided by Musician Michael E. Tucker.

Certified Graphoanalyst Kathleen Dickinson uses her training in handwriting analysis to bring to light hidden facets of personality with a goal of optimizing both the personal and professional In her capacity as owner and proprietor of Dynamic Impressions, Kathleen offers her breadth of experience to both individuals and organizations with the goal of facilitating personal and professional success. For more information please visit http://www.dynamicimpressions.com .