A culture where crayons had evolved to be the only writing implements would be distinctly different from our own.  For example, many renowned works of literature were developed almost as physical as well as intellectual works of art; one need only see the likes of a hand-copied manuscript, like the countless Bibles made by monks in the Middle Ages to understand this fact.  It is very unlikely that one could reach the artistry of one of these works if the only tool at ones disposal was a 64 pack of Crayolas. One could argue that limiting the writing tools to crayons would possibly inspire more decorative embellishments, as crayons themselves are primarily associated with doodling; this leads to an interesting debate: if crayons are now a writing tool, are do we still see them as a means of absentminded doodling?  Or would their new intellectual status make such an action strange and unfamiliar?  At the same time, handwriting would by necessity have to be superior for all; personally, that may have been the most difficult part of this assignment, especially as the crayon grew more and more dull.

History has moved forward (and backwards) with the advent of new writing technologies; for example, Gutenberg's printing press ushered in a new era of increased learning, aiding in the start of the Scientific Revolution and the Renaissance.  A similar revolution is happening today: the birth of the blog and social networking has given anyone with an internet connection the power to publish their ideas and share them with anyone who may stumble upon them.  At the same time, this has led to a "dumbing down" of the written word.  For several years, professors have decried the increasing prominence of slang and shorthand in intellectual works.   In the early days of the written word, one had to seriously consider what he or she was going to put to paper (or parchment, or hide).  Now, any asinine thought can be shared with all of ones contacts in the blink of an eye.  In this activity, we were made to force ourselves into that mindset; there was no eraser, no backspace to cleanly wipe away any errors of spelling or grammar.  Perhaps it would benefit our writing as a whole if we tried to maintain this mindset; too often assignments become an issue of word count over substance.  By consciously thinking about what we are writing, we can construct something of more value and insight than we would otherwise.