MUSINGS OF A LOCAL By Iris Mead - THE LOST ART OF HAND WRITTEN LETTERS

When was the last time you wrote a letter to a friend?  Can you remember? Did you ever? Do you remember receiving handwritten letters in the mail?

Letter writing is a lost art.  It was the main form of communication between friends until the telephone was invented, then email became popular and widely used in the 1990’s.  A few sentences typed out on the computer kept you in touch and up-to-date with your friends, if they had email.  Then came texting as a shorter version of emailing, and to make it even easier and shorter to reach out to friends, emojis are being used in place of words. 

Why take the time to sit down and actually write on a sheet of paper with a pen or pencil when it’s so easy and quick to just text?  A real letter says so many things; that the writer actually sat down and took the time to write it, that the writer is sharing their life in a more intimate way, and this person is taking the time out of their life to share it with you.  The writer connects with the receiver on a more personal level.  There is something about composing a letter, or even a short note, to a friend that feels more genuine and heartfelt than an email or text.  While writing a letter one feels a closer connection to the recipient.  And who doesn’t like to receive a letter in the mail!  In these days of junk mail, bills and advertisements in our mail boxes finding a hand-written envelope is not only uplifting but brings a smile to the receiver’s face.

The most famous letter writer was Marie de Sevigne’ (17th Century).  She is famous for her extensive correspondence with her daughter that included her observations on society and the politics of the day.  Another prolific letter writer was Mary Todd Lincoln who exchanged letters with Queen Victoria that gave insights on the impact of the Civil War on those in power. After Ernest Hemingway’s death, 16 volumes of his letters to various friends were published.

I have a special friend who lives across the country in a city that I used to live in.  Building on the memories of that city and the years of our friendship, we handwrite letters to each other throughout the year.  Sometimes it’s monthly, sometimes a month or two or three may go by but the lastest letter never goes unanswered.  Reminders of things we did or saw together end up in the pages of our correspondence, newspaper articles of her area that she thinks will be of interest to me pop out of the envelope when I open the envelope.  In return, I send her articles about the Catskills, as she has never visited this area.  I feel that our friendship has endured across the miles because of our handwritten letters. If you have a friend or past neighbor that might like to hear from you, get out that pen or pencil and write a few lines.  You might make someone’s day.