Letter in your post box - The Dying Art of Letter Writing
Not many of us receive letters via snail mail these days, but if you're living in a country far away from friends and family, receiving a letter in your post box would be such a treat, not so!
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It may just be a piece of paper with words written on it, but knowing that your loved one wrote that letter by hand, or more likely typed it these days, is a palpable connection to that someone special; something you can touch and smell, knowing those words are just for you and that the hand that wrote it and dropped it in the mailbox, did that especially for you! Amazing the power that words have; they can uplift us but also hurt us.
Letters my Grandpa wrote to me after Granny passed away in the early 80s
We all know the excitement of receiving a surprise parcel as I did today, absolutely spoilt by my son.
A nice touch from the company supplying wonderful natural products, was a little handwritten message on the invoice.
So I've admitted it before, I'm a real sentimental fool; have kept letters from way back; still have a letter written by my Granny over thirty years ago when she had to fly to faraway France to tend to my uncle when he was ill; that letter was full of longing to be back home.
Gran also sent a postcard, like many people used to do when they were visiting exciting places.
My nephew now lives in Minneapolis, over 9 thousand kilometres away from home, and told me how he treasures letters from my Mom; keeps them all together in a special place.
He was a keen Harry Potter fan at a very young age, and wrote this endearing letter to JK Rowling about his dreams to be an actor one day - he is a pilot today however, so that dream never came true.
Mom saved some of his letters when he was a small child and of course copies of that has been added to his collection.
Mom gave me a letter my son wrote to her - telling her she's much better than other Oumas (Grannies) and thanking her for all the things, like that he could have a sleepover at her place. His impatience comes through in the way he tries to draw straight lines freehand!
LEARNING TO PRINT - DRAWING MAPS BY HAND
When I started work back in the rocking 70s as a learner draftsperson in a land surveying firm all our drawings were done by hand. Part of my training was learning to print correctly; that was the very first lesson; day in and day out printing the ABC's and the 123's till that skill was honed to perfection and I was allowed to draw my first plan. We drew with dip pens with various size nibs that had to be dipped in ink, I kid you not! Being left handed I was at a huge disadvantage as I had to always lift my hand to avoid smudging the wet ink!
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Then we advanced to refillable ink pens, later on pens with ink cartridges, all still being done by hand, but by now we were using stencils, very advanced we thought!
Of course there was much consternation when we were told we had to draw our plans on a computer; that was real madness as we all thought we could do things much faster, how wrong we were :):)
But by now many younger people entering the profession had no need to learn the art of printing by hand, so that's another skill lost to technology.
Come to think of it, do people still practice the art of calligraphy now that one can pick and choose fonts to your hearts' content and print it in no time?
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I know emailing or whatsapp is instant but it really is so impersonal, just not the same. Pick up those pens and start learning the art of writing again and see what a difference it makes to your loved ones far away!
Thank you for stopping by
Comments, upvotes & resteems all much appreciated :)
Copyright @lizelle - All Rights Reserved
Postcards. I loved getting picture postcards. Exotic places on one side and a message from somebody that cared on the other.
I think that's the thing for me. Somebody cared enough to write the thing and get a stamp and mail it. It's about the caring.
I love getting personal emails and texts. It's the same caring but so much easier and faster.
So I don't so much mourn the passing of hand writing, I much more mourn the passing of caring. I don't think the electronic world is without it, but it has to be cultivated and isn't achieved by forwarding to a group. That leaves me cold.
I think we have it here. In case you hadn't noticed, I care what you have to say Lizelle, and spend a little time answering. It's the same only different.
So very true @bigtom13, it is more sad that many are too busy these days to care!
I think you are an amazing man, I see just how much you care with your thoughtful comments which I for one, and many others I'm sure, do appreciate very much, thank you!
I agree with you on those group forwards, is one of my pet peeves!
At least here on the blockchain our words are stored forever and cannot get lost so it is a great tool for storing memories as well!
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@lizelle What a nice sentimental post! We only receive thank you letters and notes of request and I can't remember when last I received a personal letter. Great to see this Lady Lizelle. Blessings!
Glad you enjoyed it @papilloncharity!
Thanks for stopping by, blessings to you and yours :)
My friend @lizelle how are you? a few days ago I did not say hello with these changes Steemit cost me a little but here I go
The letters in my country are not customs say that there is no such culture is not common to see any post office in a house I always liked that idea hurts that culture is not here
But it's nice to receive letters are words that stay there for many years they do not get blown and you can keep them
Hey @andrina, yep life keeps up busy hey! I'm keeping well, hope you are too :)
At least here on the blockchain, our words are stored forever hey!
Thank you for your lovely comments.
I love receiving hand-written notes! It just feels extra special. It feels more personal and heartfelt. It is nice to have something to cherish, may you enjoy those letter for years to come!
Ah thank you @dalipops, it's so much more personal hey!
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My writing has got worse over the year due to lack of practice, it is a dying art.. you are right. My daughter gives me crap because she cant read what I write. I can.. but only just.
I suppose there are some positives for typing out messages as some people's handwriting is so hard to decipher! Thank you for your feedback @slobberchops.
I am as sentimental as you, have letters from many years ago between my Dad and his mother in the war years, over the years my own and my boys.
Yes it was always good to receive letters, still get the odd post card or two from a pen-pal I had growing up in the UK.
It is doubtful that letter writing will continue much longer, the school systems here have quit teaching cursive writing so the best the could happen would be a hand printed letter. That is a sad thing, kids will not even be able to sign their own names.
Gosh that's bad, you're right, how the heck they're going to do their signatures!
But at least with the blockchain, our memories can't get lost like those letters can.
Thank you for your feedback mr Papper!
It will look like this: Sign Here:____X____ , that was how it was done when people didn't know how to write, and it looks like we are headed back in that direction.
They say things come "full circle" that might just be one that they will be right about, whoever "they" are.
I always had terrible handwriting, and I took to email so enthusiastically in the 1990s. Yet I still handwrite notes a lot (that only I can decipher!). And you're right, looking back on old handwritten letters is so much more enjoyable than looking back at old emails! I have a small box of letters, and it includes letters from my granddad (my grandmother didn't write so much). He died in 1979, and he used to write me really lovely and funny letters, which sometimes contained rhymes.
A few months ago my 16-year-old nephew announced that he was going to start writing letters, but I haven't received any (yet). He's very creative, and it would be nice if he did write them. The only letters I receive these days are bills, bank statements and junk mail!
Oh the handwriting that's so hard to decipher is a problem, ir rather was one as not many write these days hey!
I do hope you get a surprise letter in the mail, but you're right, junkmail is such a pain!
Thank you for your support and great feedback @natubat!