Shortly after I started this project, I realized that my project was just that...MY project, not everyone else's project. Although the letter writing process takes considerably more time than phone calls, e-mailing and texting, in the long run, it all happens fairly quickly. I write a letter and mail it off. A friend or family member gets the letter and writes me back...it all takes a week or two. Especially if we haven't seen or talked to one another for awhile, we generally catch up our lives in those two letters. Then what?
Like I said, this is my project. Just because I wanted to write a lot of letters this year, doesn't mean everyone I know wants to write a lot of letters or that they have time to do so. If I send off a speedy second letter, my letter's recipient might feel obligated to write again, even if he or she doesn't have time or much to say.
As I searched for more and more people to write to, I tracked down the addresses of "old" friends and acquaintances, many of whom I've never heard back from. Maybe my letters were lost in the system; maybe they just didn't have anything to say in reply. In all fairness, some of the letters went to people I haven't seen or heard from since high school.
All that is to say that I soon began looking for other people to write letters to. That's how I found the pen pal blogs, Web sites and forums. I've made some lovely new friends this way and have written a lot of letters without overburdening my close friends and family with too many letters.
Yesterday, after all these months of writing letters, I got a "Return to Sender" notice. I sent out a card and an introductory note to a girl whose name and address I found on sendsomething.net. She's probably been too busy with her life to update her profile, and I know that's always a chance I take when send off a letter to a stranger.
The most amazing thing to me (besides the fact that the old-fashioned "Return to Sender" rubber stamp is still used) is that I've only received one such notice. I've sent out so much mail, I wouldn't have been surprised to have gotten more returned letters.
4 comments:
Just one Return To Sender isn't bad at all. I like that you are writing all these letters. I wish more people would write.
yes I wish more ppl would write more as well . I mean come on folks we will keep the postal system in business if we write more letters and carla with all the letter you write you should know that one returned is not bad at all .
Well, I know I've mentioned to you before my love for the art of letter writing. I adore to write letters...the feel of the stationery, my favorite pen, time alone thinking of nothing but the dear friend to whom I'm sending the letter. I think it's such a special thing to do. And you are so right: it's hard to find people with whom to exchange letters in this day and time. Letter writing has been lost to the emails and telephone and blogs and...dare I even mention it...twittering! Aargh. When I first graduated from college and was living on my own in a new town without a tremendous amount of friends nearby, I took up penpalling. At that time, there were these adorable little "friendship books" that circulated the globe and were filled with names and artwork of others who were seeking penpals and individuals with whom to exchange these little treasures. They were inventive and fun. Slowly, as work became more and more of a priority and my hours became longer and longer, I lost track of my friendship book friends (although I have been fortunate to find a few on facebook), and I often wonder if these little books are still circling the world. Have you heard of them? I think, perhaps, that may be a subject for my blog in the near future. Anyway, if you are seeking penpals, if you could find one of those books and they are still in existence, I know you would find others who love letter writing as much as we do!
All best wishes,
Paula
I get very little returned mail, too, and I send LOTS of mail. But... I have hit a run of returned mail sent to SendSomething members... three in the last month. I also noticed that at work we are getting MUCH more "return to sender" mail. I think it has something to do with people giving up on homes that are foreclosed :-(
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