The Lost Art of the Mighty Pen (or pencil)

Writing, it's just not done anymore. Technically, I'm not even writing this. I'm not typing it either. I'm simply speaking into a headset and software is translating my voice into text. Isn't that great?

35 years ago, I would be hand writing this. Just like everybody else. I wrote more often than most people, having the letter begging itch and all. I used to write five or six letters per week. and I would receive handwritten letters in return. Granted, some of the people I correspond with had very poor handwriting. Which was a challenge, but just a normal consequence of hand written communication. Losing a bit of the content of the letter wasn't completely unexpected. It was more important to have received the letter than to fully understand every bit of information it contained. Although good handwriting is always appreciated.

 

I've written a few letters to people I know over the last couple of years. I don't think they knew what to make of it. If I had sent them an email with the same information, they would've responded almost immediately. Or certainly within a day or so. But to expect a handwritten response to letter seems to be too much to expect. I wonder what reaction the person had when they opened up an envelope to find a friendly letter inside from a friend? I have a feeling that they were just so very slightly annoyed with me. Probably not annoyed to the point of even being aware of it -- but worrying about what to do in response to this unusual form of communication. Did I expect a handwritten letter in return? Why had I written to them in this archaic manner? Was it a joke? A test?

I don't know if the art of handwriting a casual letter to a friend has already been lost. I don't even know how to research this, and I haven't yet tried. I hope people still write to each other, but I think email and texting has pretty much co-oped this former means of communication. A lot of people might tell me that the new forms of communications are signs of progress. And they would be correct. Yet, not all progress succeeds in completely replacing it's old counterpart in a satisfactory manner.

I think I will write a letter to somebody I know today. I don't know who, but to somebody I know fairly well. I wonder if they will write back. Maybe they'll send me an email in response to the letter. That would be less satisfying than a hand written letter but better than no response at all. 

Note to reader: When was the last time you wrote to a friend, folded the piece of paper, placed it into an envelope, affixed a stamp and mailed it (snail-mail)? If you wrote to a friend today, would you know what to say in the letter?

Just so you'll know, if you write to me, I will write back!