A good old fashioned letter

I don't know about you all, but I love writing letters. Real letters that you put in an envelope, lick to seal, and put a stamp on before dropping it in a mailbox. There's something so satisfying about writing out a letter by hand and then by following through the whole process. And then you put it in the mailbox and start wondering about when the person you're sending it to will get it. Eventually, you get to wondering about when and if your correspondent will write you back. And although sometimes this can have a somewhat depressing effect if you don't get a reply, it is all the more rewarding when you do get one in reply.

There's something so much more personal that comes in a handwritten letter than an email or text can ever hope to convey. The individual who wrote the letter's personality shines through the individually formed letters. You can often tell if they were hurried or if they took their sweet time writing it. And almost always, depending on the letter's content of course, you feel so special that someone took the time to write to you in a day in which the world of instant gratification evidenced by cell phones and computers seem to make the handwritten letter obsolete. This may all sound somewhat hypocritical seeing how I am typing it out on a computer to be shared via the internet...but its not really the same. I can't send this little blip to the whole world in an envelope, and it is not intended for one individual. I even wrote a paper about this for my English class this semester. This is how much I really like letters. :)

I've kept pretty much every letter I've ever received. Currently, most of them are in a book in sheet protectors, organized by the sender. If I'm ever feeling a little lonely for someone in particular, or just lonely in general, I pull that book out and read through the letters. Some of my favorites are ones written by my cousins when we were little kids. They're so funny! Kids are pretty consistent...they say funny things, and they write funny things. Also, there was often a drawing or coloring with most of those letters. They just remind me of playing in the old combine in the field, playing board games, and helping my aunt in the kitchen. They remind me of swimming in the canal and riding horses.

Some of my other favorite letters are ones written by Taiwanese friend. She has pretty good English, but sometimes the things she writes are so funny just because of the way she's structured them. I always love reading about life over there. I find it fascinating. Plus, I haven't seen her for a few years, so its great to still communicate with her via letters. Also, the envelopes and stamps she sends the letters in are often really cool because they're Taiwanese.

I always loved having "pen pals" as a kid, obviously I haven't changed much. :)