Letter Writing

    I have always been a letter writer. Letters are cool. They don't jump out of the box like Jack but deliver every bit as much bang for the buck. Especially when the letter is unexpected.  I mean, we all grumble at those No.10 whites (with or without plasticine windows) but smiles burst out at the sight of an A6 even without knowing what is inside. Hmmmm, it's not my birthday or a holiday--could it be a wedding or party invitation? A letter doesn't have to be long or a brilliant piece of prose. Those 18th and 19th century folks had a whole lot more time on their hands to sit around and wax poetic to their friends than I do.  I am a stream-of-consciousness writer. Thoughts go from my head to the paper. It's up to you to fill in the blanks and make the leaps from one topic to another.  O.K. letters from me might be a little work to get through, but who doesn't like a little challenge?  

    Some of the nicest letters to get are almost nonletters.  My grandmother once wrote me a note that had a few unimportant tidbits in it and then stopped herself. "Hold it a minute" she wrote. And then, "I'm back. I made myself a BLT sandwich for lunch."  I was transported. I could see my grandmother in her kitchen frying the bacon and assembling the sandwich. I swear I could almost taste it. That humble, almost-nothing letter was a keeper.  A college mate of mine lived in the graduate student dormitory--dorms usually placed a bit out of harm's (and undergrad's noise) way.  One day he described the view out of his corner room's window to his parents: the walk path partially hidden by the wooded area right next to the narrow river that flowed through campus and right by his room.  His parents were enchanted by this mini slice of his life and cherished the letter above all the others.

    I have to admit to becoming a bit of a terrorist in my passion for this form of communication (which, by the way, is so much more a respectable Me-Me-Me outlet than Facebook, ahem.)  I'll confess to one incident: When I was working on a cruise ship in Tahiti, a new French piano player was signed on so quickly that he had no time to alert his mom about his new employment. He had barely stepped on the ship when I asked him to do a bit of translating off ship for me. He obliged and as a reward, I forced him write a postcard to his mom. I just happened to have a few picture postcards and stamps on me (doesn't everyone?) and leaned on him until he wrote it and dropped it in the mailbox.  This is silly, he protested. He was going to email his mother. Well, this guy avoided me after this  save for one single exchange.  A new sign-on has a lot of training classes with precious little free time and he didn't get to an internet cafe for over a week.  His postcard was delivered to his mother while she had friends over and it practically turned tea into a party.  The piano player admitted I was right, thanked me...and kept well away from me evermore. 

    Last week I made a vow. I would write at least one letter/note/postcard each day for a week. I was feeling a bit too self-absorbed and thought some postal therapy would work. I made sure that my mobile post office [read: work bag] was well stocked with prepaid postcards, envelopes and stamps and a few handy aerograms. Aerograms are cheaper, prepaid-postage sheets of paper that fold into their own envelopes. Very handy. And no longer sold in the U.S.  Anyway, I mailed eleven (11) pieces of personal correspondence by week's end, mostly to people I haven't written to in awhile.  I don't expect a big response rate or any response at all for that matter and that is alright.  I know what the reaction is without having to hear about it. Writing a letter is simply not hard work, it doesn't take a long time to do and should be pain-free. Let me help get you started.

     How to Write a Letter

     1. Grab a piece of paper. Any paper will do. Your shopping list, that concert program, the paper placemat from a touristy restaurant, the weekly-printed paper menu from that toney restaurant you just ate at, use the back of an office memo extolling your praises or a rejection letter from potential employer number 73, one side of a cake mix box, etc.  The options are endless. Sometimes your stationery can springboard a topic of conversation.
     2. Date it somewhere, either at the top or near your signature when you are done.
     3. Start with a greeting.  Dear Grandma,  Hi Susie!, or, if you must, How's it hanging, Dude?!
     4. Tell them why you are writing, whatever it was that motivated you.  Doesn't need to be long, just a few sentences will do. Write just the way you would speak, if that helps the flow of words to paper.
     5. Put it in an envelope. You can get creative here, also.  I have used wrapping paper, aeronautical maps, even fabric to make my own envelopes.  Adds to the excitement for the recipient.
     6. Tough part now.  Find their address. Call a mutual friend or relative to get it or look up their address on the internet.
     7.  Affix proper postage.  C'mon, you've got a stamp or two lying around somewhere.
     8.  Drop it in one of those colorful boxes on a street corner labelled "Mail" or "Post". A government employee empties the box daily and your letter is on its way.
     9.  Pat yourself on the back.  Good job. Well done!


   I guess I feel some obligement to put a good word in here for Dads.  A male friend complained recently that everyone remembers to think of saying "hi" to Mom but forgets that Dad knows how to read, also.  Clearly his two sons aren't big on writing him, either.   So, say hi to Dad, also.