letter
today i received an old-fashioned letter, handwritten, sealed in an envelope, stamped and mailed through the postal office. it came along with the monthly posts i receive bearing the bills i owe credit card companies.
in this age when everything from jokes, to prayers, to greeting cards, to pictures, to love letters, hate letters and chain letters (threatening you that if you dont send it to so and so number of people you are cursed for life) are sent electronically it is a breath of fresh air to receive something with a very personal touch. something you know a great deal of energy was invested.
unlike electronic mails which you cannot access unless you have a computer by your side, and easily throw away with a click of a mouse (okay, two clicks, because you always get to asked if you want to delete the file permanently... and gosh, it is so generic... everything is called "file") an old-fashioned letter is something you can put in your bag, or slip under your pillow and read, and re-read, and re-read. and that everytime you do your lips break to a smile... ahh, i do read and re-read my credit statements but i frown each time i see my bills.
the old-fashioned letter doesn't reach you overnight, especially if it was sent from the other side of the planet and with a local stamp that would probably get it only as far. you would be surprised if it ever gets to you at all. but it's worth the wait. there's a thrill in opening the envelope whether you use a letter opener or you just tear one side and hurriedly (or unhurriedly, depends on how excited you are) take out the piece of paper tucked inside... wondering what kind of paper was used, wondering even whether the paper is scented or not. :-)
call me sentimental, call me outmoded. i may be behind the times, but i am still delighted. in this age when everything is digital, electronic, instant and impersonal... you feel a different kind of high, and oddly complimented when you get a painstakingly handwritten letter....
and unlike electronic mails when i can simply click "reply" i am going to write back in an old-fashioned way.
in this age when everything from jokes, to prayers, to greeting cards, to pictures, to love letters, hate letters and chain letters (threatening you that if you dont send it to so and so number of people you are cursed for life) are sent electronically it is a breath of fresh air to receive something with a very personal touch. something you know a great deal of energy was invested.
unlike electronic mails which you cannot access unless you have a computer by your side, and easily throw away with a click of a mouse (okay, two clicks, because you always get to asked if you want to delete the file permanently... and gosh, it is so generic... everything is called "file") an old-fashioned letter is something you can put in your bag, or slip under your pillow and read, and re-read, and re-read. and that everytime you do your lips break to a smile... ahh, i do read and re-read my credit statements but i frown each time i see my bills.
the old-fashioned letter doesn't reach you overnight, especially if it was sent from the other side of the planet and with a local stamp that would probably get it only as far. you would be surprised if it ever gets to you at all. but it's worth the wait. there's a thrill in opening the envelope whether you use a letter opener or you just tear one side and hurriedly (or unhurriedly, depends on how excited you are) take out the piece of paper tucked inside... wondering what kind of paper was used, wondering even whether the paper is scented or not. :-)
call me sentimental, call me outmoded. i may be behind the times, but i am still delighted. in this age when everything is digital, electronic, instant and impersonal... you feel a different kind of high, and oddly complimented when you get a painstakingly handwritten letter....
and unlike electronic mails when i can simply click "reply" i am going to write back in an old-fashioned way.
Labels: life as i know it
