When I say letter writing, I don’t mean the “open letters” that appear on blogs everywhere or the cover letter you just sent in for that summer internship; I mean the pen to paper, licking a weird tasting envelope, and paying 49 cents for a stamp kind of letter writing.
In our modern and technologically obsessed society where you can communicate through text, email, WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and loads of other social media platforms, controversy has focused on the loss of face-to-face direct human communication and has failed to address the loss of written mail.
The reason for this is easy to surmise: to even send a letter to a neighboring city or county in your own state, it often takes at least three or four days to get to its destination. Then, even if the person gets a response back in the mail the same day, it takes another three to four days for you to receive it. So, best case scenario, you receive a response within a week. Obviously, this is not practical for our busy schedules – we need immediate responses to questions and concerns so that we can get on with whatever we need to do. For this reason, I’m grateful for the technology we have.
And I would agree that the more pressing problem that we encounter in the face of our modern technology is the loss of human faces. That being said, while some may consider the notion of ‘snail mail’ as nostalgic and possibly useless, I believe letter writing captures a sense of commitment and kindness that often fails to translate through technology.
I started writing letters at a very young age as a way to keep in contact with my two of my aunts who live out of state, and we’ve continued the tradition to this day. We exchange fun stationery, handmade greeting cards, photos, and most importantly, updates on life and personal anecdotes. I haven’t seen either of my aunts for years, but I still feel connected to them despite such long absences.
Since moving away to college, I’ve expanded the tradition to include my friends from high school who all went in different directions. I’ve used letters to keep in contact with one of my best friends who I met while I was abroad. I even managed to convince my long-distance boyfriend to participate in the cheesiest and most old-fashioned means of communication; I think he may even like it a little. However, letter writing isn’t only to keep in touch with those you don’t see very often - these small reminders that someone cares can also come from roommates or parents whom you see on a regular basis and be just as powerful.
As an overwhelmed college student, I find myself easily getting caught up in the stresses of everyday life and the mountains of reading that my English major requires. So, when I open my mailbox to see a letter from family or friends, it helps to remind me what’s really important in life – my relationships.
While my boyfriend could just send me a text to tell me he’s thinking about me or my mom could just call me for my birthday (both of which happen anyway), there’s something extra special about receiving a card or letter in the mail. It shows that this person feels that you are worth the time it takes to sit down and write a letter, you are worth the cost of envelopes and stamps, and you are worth the wait of a response. A text or Snapchat just doesn't carry the same weight.
Letter writing doesn’t have to be lost in the past with the traditions of quill pens and messy ink splats. You don’t have to write pages of romantic ponderings like some nineteenth-century poet or make up rhymes like a Hallmark greeting card. All you need is a pen, a piece of paper, and the address of someone you care about.
