by kate
15. August 2011 23:26
I recently told a friend of mine that I still wrote letters. As usual, he was shocked that I still did.
His first question was, "Why?" He was surprised, confused, and curious.
He likened the practice of writing and sending letters to collecting antiques. I can see his point. Writing letters involves spending time with something that is quaint, old-fashioned, out-of-favor, outdated; something that belongs to ancient times.
In answer to his question, I decided to make a quick and unofficial list of all the reasons why I still write letters. I'll keep thinking of reasons why I still write letters, I am sure. For now, read this and see what you think.
I write letters because ...
- when you sit down to write, you don't know where you will end up ... you say things you never thought you would say, find an interesting turn of phrase, clarify your feelings, express yourself in surprising ways
- it is fun to surprise and delight people by mail
- it is a physical record of what you were thinking at a particular time in your life
- it is the only way to really say thank you in this day and age
- it is one way to slow down the pace of life, to be analogue in a digital world
- it is a kind of manual labor, literally
- I think of it as a kind of practice, as a kind of meditation
- my mother made me do it and still does
- by now, it is a habit
- of the (eternal) hope that someone will write me back ... (sigh)
- many of the people I most admire in the world wrote letters
AND YOU?
Do you write letters still? Why do you write them?
Do you read them? If so, why do you read them and who's do you read?
Let me know in the comments below.
Better yet: write me a letter! I dare you.
319 Lafayette St, #159, NY, NY 10012
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