Day 16: You've got mail!

With the advent of the internet, communication has become so much easier. We can facebook, skype, email, chat, video blog, webinar etc. It’s amazing. It’s fast, it’s effective, it’s personal but I still like the old school letter writing form of communication. The goose bumps, the feel of the paper, the deciphering of inked in scribble, the fact that the person actually touched and wrote on the same piece of paper you are now holding makes it so much more personal. It provides a sense of instant emotional connection.

I remember being away from home for the first time while I was studying in Canada. I used to talk to my parents and boy friend at that time every day but it’s not till I got handwritten letters from them that I bawled my eyes out. For some reason, seeing their writing, seeing the return to address on the envelope, smelling the paper (yes weird I know) was all very overwhelming and so much more emotionally “in your face” than a skype call or email.

I really do love letter writing and reading. I’m a hoarder when it comes to collecting any bit of personalized written communication. The other day I was cleaning out my room to look for my Arts degree which I’ve somehow managed to misplace (a sign from the Universe highlighting its insignificance?) I discovered that a huge portion of the clutter that my mum despises comprises of letters, cards, sugarcubes, photo albums, scrap books, postcards etc. High in sentimental value, good guidance for a walk down memory lane, instant uppers when in need of a pick-me-up, also good at taking up shelf/drawer space but that’s about it... I still make a strong case for them year after year and mum lets me hold on to my intangible assets for yet another year.

As much as I like to read letters, I also like to write them. I think my written words of wisdom make for great gifts (or lack thereof). My ex boyfriends and friends would all vouch for that. Lately, however, I’ve become really lazy at letter writing. However I do want to revive that passion for handwritten snail mails. All it takes is one baby step to form a new habit. So one baby step I took, to the post box with a few postcards freshly inked with my messy, hard-to-decipher scribble and stamps and sent them away to my near and dear ones in not so near places. To think, a card that I had just scribbled on and sent from the land down under would be (hopefully) picked up and read by friends in continental Europe or sunny Latin America was exciting. I’m not sure where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing in the next few months but I’ll definitely be keeping everyone updated, if not by my frequent status updates on Facebook, then by my hieroglyphic-resembling handwriting on a postcard. Stay tuned and keep checking those mail boxes (not just the web based ones)!