I suppose there are quite a few things we can learn from writing letters...how to communicate in writing, proper format for different types of letters, improved penmanship, etc. But, one thing I find myself learning as I progress on this letter-writing project is patience.
In this day of e-mail, Instant Message, Text Message and Twitter, we have learned to expect instant replies to the messages we send out into the world. We send out an e-mail, and in a matter of minutes, sometimes only seconds, a reply is back in our inbox.
It's been hard for me to remember how to think differently with the letter writing. I'll write a letter, seal it up in the envelope and drop it in the mailbox. Then, I'm already waiting for a reply; I'm used to my recipient receiving my messages instantly. I've had to get used to (again) realizing that the recipient won't know what I said for days. And, then, I'll have to wait until they have time to write back and send me a letter in the mail.
I grew up before e-mail, so I have plenty of experience with mailing letters, but I've been corresponding electronically for almost 20 years now. Instant communication gratification has become the norm.
There's something simply satisfying, though, about connecting with friends and family with an old-fashioned letter. It's just as thrilling to drop an envelope in the mailbox as it is to take one out of the mailbox at home.
Make someone's day...write a letter today and mail it!
6 comments:
Oh, I totally hear you on the patience thing, but like you, I've learned to appreciate it. I welcome my letter-writing time as a time to slow down, get away from my multi-tasking... and then once a reply letter arrives, I've had time to digest some of the concepts we've been discussing. I find it much more thoughtful and in-depth.
You should check out swap-bot.com and sendsomething.net - in the age of the internet, they celebrate snail mail. I think you'll enjoy it!
I am an avid member of Sendsomething - it's AWESOME and I've picked up some really fun correspondents there - but not Swapbot, since I don't really swap anything but letters. Can you do swap-bot for just letters, and not kawaii stationery or fbs or any of that cutesy stuff? No offense at all to anyone who's into that, it's just not my thing to do anything much but letters.
I still love getting an old fashioned hand written note - it means a lot to me that someone took the time to write:):)
I've never heard of sendsomething.net, I'll have to check it out.
I quite agree, I'm not a patient person at all, and living in an age where instant gratification is everywhere, I've never really needed it. I manage to get things done, but stopping, breathing, and waiting for something to happen? I can't do it.
What a great endeavor – a letter a day for a year. It’s awesome to see someone embarking on this and encouraging young people to do the same. For all of those letter-writers out there, Giftsin24.com has a great selection of personalized stationery (from elegant to funky). The time taken to write a letter is valuable, so why not make the letter itself more memorable with Giftsin24.com
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