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The Lost Art of Letter Writing

This week I was the recepient of two postcards. In the age of e-mailing and blogging this is a rare occurrrance. It's not that people don't write anymore it's just they are doing it in different forms and I think in less personal forms. It's kinda sad when you think about it. For me, there is nothing better then getting a hand written letter in the mail because it means someone was specifically thinking about you.

Writing a letter these days takes a lot of effort when GMail is so near. I mean a person has to pick out stationary (if they even have any on hand), find time to sit down and compose a letter (and who has a spare half hour these days?), find or buy a stamp and actually walk the letter to the mailbox. With all this effort, no wonder people email these days!

My girlfriend Becky and I joke that the United States Postal Service has become "Snail Mail." Most times before a letter gets to us these days we already know the information inside due to other forms of communication. So in every letter we write to each other we begin, I hope this "snail mail" didn't arrive after my e-mail.

As a kid, I remember being the recepient of many stationary gifts. I always hated it because it always made me feel like I had to do work. Thank you writing was a chore I thought. But now in my older age I feel it's sometimes the only means of communication I have with people in months. I really have to thank Mrs. McKensie, my 6th grade Language Arts teacher. I hated her because she was mean but by forcing me to keep a journal for class she taught me to love writing. Somehow after Mrs. McKensie, thank you notes weren't a chore anymore.

My mother always taught me to send thank you letters when you received a gift or nice gesture. With the invention of e-mail sometimes a fancy note turns into a one line quib barely acknowledging the nice gesture. I have done that and I always feel guilty as if my mom's evil eye is watching me in shame.

I remember the days when my parents or grandparents went on a big trip. I'd always get a big fancy envelope detailing their fun adventures and sometimes, if I was lucky, mentioning that they had a little sovinear for me when they returned. The letter was usually on hotel paperstock or a postcard from the city they went to. I remember conversing with a girl in high school who had moved to California. I remember reading her letters and wishing I was her. I still have her letters at home in Michigan stored in a box. I have saved a bunch of letters people have sent me over the years and find it fun whenever i am back in Michigan visiting my parents to sit down and open up that box and re-read them. It's like reliving a bit of history.

In my second year of college, I remember getting a big colorful envelope in the mail from my new roommate. I was scared because the last roommate was a nightmare but after opening the envelope and finding an introductory letter with glitter and hand drawn decorations plus two handmade paper dinosaurs, I knew if someone had taken the time to do all of this they must be a cool roommate. And she was and still is a dear friend!

My girlfriends from high school and college to this day send wonderfully long letters giving me the latest gossip in their lives. I can't tell you how exciting it is to get the mail and see something from them. Nothing is better then seeing a big fat envelope with stickers on it because you know there is some good tale inside. We might not write to each other as much as we did but when you get a letter you know something cool has happened in their lives. The minute I get a letter from them I have to drop everything and find the biggest, comfiest seat and settle in for a nice read.

I guess that is why letter writing is a lost art form because like me, people have gotten too busy. So readers this week I encourage you to pick up a pen and write someone a note. Give them the joy of finding a hand written note in the sea of bills and junk mail. Make someone's day this week and write them a note. Do it, you will be happy you did.

Comments

Great Gazooo!! said…
I'll 'mail' you my comment ;)
Anonymous said…
Lollipop,

To think that when you were in first grade I worried about your writting ability! Always look foward to reading your comments.

Dad
I am glad you have left a note dad!!

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