You reach over, turn on your computer, wait past the loading screens and you’re now on your Desktop. After that, you probably log on to email or some other form of digital communication. I do. Every single day I check my email. I respond to messages on Facebook and Deviantart. I don’t remember the last time I sent a letter. It was a long time ago. With all of the digital communication of today, we are losing both face-to-face communication and letters via the postal service.
Writing letters is a dying art, not because people don’t know how, but because people don’t send them. Personal letters are now a rarity in our everyday lives. Our mailboxes are stuffed to the brim with junk mail, junk mail taxes, and maybe a few wedding invitations or something of that sort thrown in. Truthfully, I miss the letters. I miss the awkward, forced, letters that you are required to send to relatives, the letter to your friend, or the love letter. Sadly, a good amount of this was before my time. As I grew up, so did technology. Now our lives are overridden with texting and computers.
I love technology. THERE, I said it. I admit that I love technology. I own an uber-geeky cell phone and a laptop. I go on each one every single day. I talk to my friends on instant messaging; I call my friends and parents on my cell phone; I email people for every bit of communication. I am caught in-between my geeky side and my love for old things. It’s not just old things either. Mail is very productive. It did its job in its day, delivering messages to people across the world or even just across town. It just can’t compare to talking to ANYONE in a matter of seconds. It’s insane how quickly you can talk to anyone you want.
On the other hand, mail is awesome! I wish that I would occasionally receive something in the mail other than crap stuff that I end up throwing away. Technology provides nothing lasting. Yes, you can save an email, but there is nothing material. You can save a letter. The era of finding a box of letters in your grandparent’s attic is over. If someone wrote you a love letter and sent it over the inter-web, there wwoul be no letter to hold. Data is data…nothing more and nothing less.
I enjoy mail. I enjoy receiving and occasionally sending it. I believe I’ve said it before, but I need to find a balance between technology and older things. There is no way that I’m going to stop sending emails or going on Facebook. I love my technology…and yet I love mail and the romance of it. Therefore, I’m going to do both. I will continue to check my email AND I will attempt to bring back the letter. I hopefully will overcome my laziness and send a few letters. Hey, maybe if I send them I’ll get them too. Maybe I’ll even stamp it with a wax seal…just for kicks.
