Snail Mail

Let me start off by saying how much I LOVED reading the letters sent between John and Abigail Adams. It brought be back to the "old days" when writing letters to people was the cool thing to do. It is actually somewhat depressing to think that in my lifetime, the means of communication has drastically changed. Maybe I am supposed to feel super old or something... Anyway, reading these letters made me miss the process of sending mail to a friend, grandparent, cousin, etc. I still enjoy sending a card or letter here and there, but I have definitely fallen into the world of technology. When I really think about it, snail mail is actually more personal. You may be asking yourself how that is possible, but let me explain......

How many times does a person email, text, post to FB, and use Twitter in a day? For me, too many to count. I assume that is the same for most of you. If not, then I apologize for making such assumptions. When we are using these different modes of communication, how often are we really putting thought into what we type/say? For me, hardly ever. Once again, I assume the same can be said for most people.

Now, think back to a time when you sat down and wrote a letter to someone. How much time did it take you to write it? My guess is that it took much longer than the 5 seconds it takes to do any of the above mentioned messaging. As a result, letters are usually have much more meaning behind them. When I write a letter to someone, I have to sit and think about the exact wording I want and what message I want to get across. If and when I do write a letter today, it is usually to tell a loved one how much I appreciate them. It becomes more personal because I have to sit down, think, and use my handwriting to communicate. It is weird, but somehow handwriting makes it more personal too. Think about it, when we type on FB or twitter or email or text, we all usually have the same font. How original, right! Being able to look at someones handwriting and know that they took the time to write something just has a whole different meaning.

Now that I have rambled, let me get back to John and Abigail Adams. I really enjoyed reading the letters sent between them. I almost felt guilty for reading them. Wouldn't it be weird to have people reading the letters you wrote to your loved one? Talk about a breach in privacy! It was refreshing to look at a different side of John Adams. There is something intriguing about reading the personal notes of any historical figure. It tends to make those people more "real" and relatable. I could feel the connection between the couple despite the fact that they were no where near each other. Their love was clearly strong. Reading the letters not only gave me a better understanding of them as people, but it also reminded me of the importance behind sending letters.

I encourage everyone (including myself) to write a letter, note, card, anything and stick it in the old fashion mail.