The lost art of letter writing needs a comeback

Long before the internet, there was a way of communicating known as letter writing. People actually took the time to sit down, gather their thoughts and, putting pen to paper, would compose a document testifying to the joys and sorrows during a passage of time.

I loved those days. I suppose it appealed to the writer in me, but it also provided a range of emotions to experience. There was the hope that the person receiving your letter would appreciate the effort you poured into it. There was also the anticipation of waiting for a response being returned to you. There was the joy of receiving a response.

Part of the fun for me was the whole process — the right paper, the right pen, the right stamps. Picking everything out added to the thrill of it all. I remember reading an article that some celebrity had her own monogram embossed on a particular color paper — pretty classy. She was famous enough that people who received a handwritten note from her saved them and eventually sold them at auctions or to collectors after her passing.

I used to write letters all the time. Apparently, I had a lot to say and I thought that anyone on the receiving end would be glad to hear from me. As time went on, fewer and fewer of my family and friends replied, and I quit writing letters. The thought of becoming that famous was intriguing, but it also put a little fear in me regarding a proper use of grammar, punctuation, spelling and content.

For some reason, I never latched on to the idea of having a pen pal. There was a time in my elementary years that a teacher had us try it as a class project, but I don’t remember if the kids in my class ever got responses or not.

I write very few letters these days, and I don’t send as many cards as I used to because it’s so much easier to shoot off an email or a text. If I have the opportunity, I would much rather communicate on a keyboard at my computer instead of using my phone. I haven’t mastered the two-thumb typing, and the nerd in me struggles with my need to add in the correct punctuation.

There really are a lot of funny sayings and memes flying about on the internet, but I refuse to pass on the ones that don’t use the correct form of your/you’re or their/there/they’re. I don’t want to promote the humor of someone who can’t be bothered to learn the basics of our language.

I’m not a fan of those guilting thoughts where the sender tries to shame you into forwarding a message. I’m also not a fan of having a valuable piece of wisdom being spoiled by attaching a political or religious party to the message.

My new year’s resolution is to write more letters, and I’m sure I’ll get right on that as soon as I find some paper and envelopes and a pen. Why can I never find a pen when I need one?