Letters in the Wind

Or in the Dust?

Just a little thought as I was reminded recently of a feeling long gone, and of how much I miss it sometimes!  In this day and age of technology and instant communication, I think we forget what it used to be like to hand-write a letter to a friend.

Don't get me wrong, instant communication has its place in our world today. Businesses need it, law firms and many others. Without the ability to "know right now", we would be lost.

But...do you remember what it was like? The choice of just the right pen, the stationery, getting comfortable and beginning ... Dear friend ... we would use our words to tell of all that had happened recently, describing in great detail the scenes, the people, using our imagination to make them feel they were here with us, a part of our life. Page after page ... sealing the big envelope and putting it in the mail box. Bye...fly off to my friend!

As the receiver, remember the anticipation of checking the mailbox, full of hope ... until one day you see an envelope with a handwritten address? Oh the excitement! You can't wait to get comfortable, maybe a drink or snack beside you, as you open the envelope. There inside, a long handwritten letter ... the feel of the paper in your hands ... it is as if you are holding your friend close to you.

Dear you ... it was so good to hear from you and receive your letter!  As you read, you laugh, smile, frown, see changes in the writing as a mood shifts.  You are transported, as if reading a good book, to a time when you were together. You can see the smiles, hear the laughter, feel perhaps the sadness.

You put the letter away, maybe in a shoebox and when you want to be transported again, take it out and hold those words close to you again. Turning on the computer, finding an email in the midst of all others and reading typed words on a screen just isn't the same, is it? Time differences give us a small sense of the anticipation of a response, but curling up with a computer or laptop just doesn't feel right.  Emoticons can't take the place of words and well-thought-out imaginative descriptions and feelings. The emoticon of arms in a hug just can't evoke the smile of "feel my arms wrapped around you, giving you a huge warm hug..."

I so enjoyed the long email letter I received, but it made me think of how fast paced and hurried our lives have become.  Why do we no longer allow ourselves even this one small slice of anticipation ... excitement ... joy ... and a little slice of quiet peace?

But in the meantime, don't stop emailing me ;-)