The lost art of letter writing

I have been sorting through my “memorabilia box” for the past couple of weeks — I’m in the process of writing a lot more about that, so stay tuned for yet another exciting post about what the hell to do with old letters. Coming soon to a blog that nobody reads near you!

Anyway, re-reading handwritten letters from friends makes me really nostalgic for the fine (and fun) art of letter writing. Here are some things I miss about snail mail.

1. Not knowing everything about what’s going on with people instantaneously. Somehow, reading a summary is a treat. It feels both distancing and intimate. Like, the person has lived their life for a period of time, and I don’t know everything that happened right away (distancing), then they write me and deliberately choose to let me in on important things (intimate).
2. I get to imagine the person sitting and writing the letter to me. It’s personal, it takes up their time, and they’re tailoring it specifically to me. It makes me feel special.
3. Letters were often written over a period of days, saying charming things like “Hang on, I have to go make a phone call. Okay, they weren’t there and I’m back. Well, I got distracted and now it’s Tuesday and there’s some other stuff I have to tell you before I go put this in the mail.”
4. You get to remember what someone’s handwriting looks like. Peoples’ handwriting corresponds so strongly to their personality for me. It’s kind of the same thing as Proust’s madeleine, or how certain scents can just instantly explode your brain with specific memories. Seeing familiar handwriting does that for me. Maybe it works that way for everyone? Or I’m just weird.
5. You can write little notes in the margin, and tiny diagrams and drawings. These are wonderful things that texts and emails are utterly unable to achieve.
6. You can write on the back side of a piece of art or a printed-out poem. This was like receiving two treats in one!
7. The sheer JOY! of receiving a personal letter in the mail is indescribable. It’s a delicious little envelope promising a good time.

I would love to go back to snail mail letter writing. I’m so tired of social media. So many of my friends aren’t really on it, or only pop in occasionally. And I have a blog where I do a lot of writing but I don’t really think anyone reads that either; see my snarky comment in the first paragraph above.

Admittedly, I adore texting, which is how I do a lot of communicating these days… there is something to be said for being able to be in touch instantly. It’s like talking on the phone, for people who hate talking on the phone.

So don’t be surprised if you get a handwritten letter from me in the mail, asking how you are and telling you what’s been going on with me. No promises, but I think I might try it. If you feel so inclined, you could even write one back!