The Lost Art of Correspondence

the lost art of correspondence

When I was a little girl I loved going out to the mailbox to check it and see if anything was for me and usually there would not be anything for me however my Grandparents were wonderful about sending post cards and I was also in a Bible Study mailbox club and I loved receiving my lesson each week.  I also was in the Laura Ingalls Wilder fan club for Melissa Gilbert my love affair with homesteading began early in life.

Up until a few years ago my Maternal Grandmother and I corresponded a lot through the mail until she no longer could and now there are very few folks that I correspond with.  People don’t really like to take the time to write out a note and articulate themselves it’s a loss for all of us because my favorite notes when I was sick and recovering in 2009 were from the people who actually wrote me a hand written note.  It meant more than I can even express here in my lil’ blog.

My husband The Viking in my life as you all know finds lots of stuff on his dumpster diving adventures and one of the things he stumbles on from time to time is piles of letters and they are fascinating recently we have been reading letters of a young gentleman that moved out to San Francisco, CA as a civil engineer he was one of the first African-American engineers and to listen to his story and the experiences he had in his boarding house and his take on the world is absolutely eye-opening at times and because hand written correspondence was his primary way to communicate he was extremely candid and open in his letters.

Why have we lost the Art of Correspondence well for one thing I think it’s a lot quicker to shoot off an email than it is to send out a letter and I know for me when I am writing with pen it takes me longer sometimes to gather my thoughts and reflect on the week and on what is going on with all of us.  It’s even quicker to connect with others on facebook, instagram, or  Twitter but it is a lot less personal.  Life is moving so fast sometimes I can barely keep up myself.

[sc:”lsh media net” ]

I have a friend though that lives out-of-town, she does not have a computer, she actually has a phone and a typewriter so I am determined to keep up with her so I have decided I will write her.  So this afternoon I wrote her a letter and I told her how we all were doing and I know for a fact I will hear back from her in writing….nice to have that certainty but she is 70 years old this year and she believes in corresponding through the mail and last we talked she told me she has gone her entire life without a computer and doesn’t need one now and while I could not live that way I respect her decision.

I am looking forward to starting our correspondence relationship or at least taking it to a whole new level as I think it’s important for me to sit down and reflect on my life once in a while other than through my blog or email.

What do you think?  Do you think we should encourage our children to write more?  I know I did encourage my children when they were younger to always send thank you notes and letters of encouragement to others.  Do you correspond with others via snail mail on a regular basis?  Do you prefer it to email?  Just wondering…..

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Fondly,

 

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4 thoughts on “The Lost Art of Correspondence

  1. I’m a fan of writing letters even though very few people do. I think it means a lot more when someone takes to time to write a letter. I’m hoping to teach my kids that. They write thank you notes for receiving bday gifts and we’ll send postcards to their grandparents wherever we’re at on vacation. They love it! They also love to receive mail too!

    1. Thanks so much for stopping in…….I truly miss corresponding with my Grandma and I have truly tried to instill love of correspondence in my own children. Sounds like you have too…..take care 🙂

  2. I miss corresponding by mail. Yes, email is a form of correspondence and texting is a click away; but, the act of sitting down and handwriting a letter to someone is an art form, IMO.

    This article makes me think that perhaps I should go on an electronics sabbatical and spend the time keeping in touch by mail. 🙂

    1. Rachel I do from time to time take a day on an electronic sabbatical…it’s tough but I am gearing up for one soon I think it is important. I need to send out some letters myself…Thank you so much for your thoughtful comment and for sharing your thoughts 🙂

I Love Hearing From All Of You! Thanks for sharing!

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