The last mailbox : question/prompt
Written by washwords on April 5, 2009 – 2:50 pmI’ve been thinking today about disappearing mailboxes. USPS mailboxes. They’re fading.
["Lonely mailbox" by dsaint on flickr]
ML was the first to point this out to me, when they came and dug up the one around the block. Then I carried a netflix rental into the grocery store to ask for their mailbox and found, nope, they didn’t have one either. Nor did the plaza with the CVS, or the spot over by the library.
Of course, my office has one but it made me think about supply and demand and the lost art of letter-writing. And that made me sad, though I’m as guilty as anyone. Heck, writing email seems too slow, writing a letter brings to mind molasses and boots in a windstorm.
And yet… letter writing is how I connected to my pop-pop, as a teenager who’d just lost her dad: finding a surprising and much-needed friend. Letter writing is how I communicated with first loves and last loves, when I wasn’t brave enough or wanted more permanence than spoken words would allow. Letters are how to say thank you or sorry or “you’re invited” properly.
It’s similar to my thinking about the kindle ( Kindle 2: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)
Question/ Writing Prompt: What was the last (snail-mail/real) letter you remember writing or reading? Why does it stand out?
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Tags: letter, letter-writing, letters, mailbox, postal, writing
Posted in wash, words | 20 Comments »
April 5th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
[...] washwords placed an interesting blog post on The last mailbox : question/promptHere’s a brief overviewWritten by washwords (I also say) on April 5, 2009 – 2:50 pmI’ve been thinking today about disappearing mailboxes. USPS mailboxes. They’re fading.["Lonely mailbox" by dsaint on flickr]ML was the first to point this out to me, when they came and dug up the one around the block. Then I carried a netflix rental into the grocery store to ask for their mailbox and found, nope, they didn’t have one either. Nor did the plaza with the CVS, or the spot over by the library.Of course, my office has one but [...]
April 5th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I asked if anyone still writes letters on twitter the other day… and only had one person reply saying they still do! Granted, I’m new to twitter and my following is small – but 1 out of 150 is still small.
There’s a photo in one of my collections “On the Road” of a letter box – it’s title is “redundant”
It’s all rusty and looks like it hasn’t been used for years and years.
Manzs last post: The Black Death Revisited
WW says: Hi Manz, welcome to the blog!! Yah, redundant, sigh. Ironic – writing about letters on twitter. Touche’, eh?
April 6th, 2009 at 7:33 am
I wrote letters with my one grandma for my whole life, including the time we lived 3 miles apart up through my move 3 hours away. She switched to email in her 80s, her last few years of life, but still always enclosed a note with every greeting card. Lately I’ve been writing to my 99 year old uncle, who tells me he feels so badly that he just can’t WRITE anymore. Still, I know he enjoys my letters. My 80 year old aunt sent me a cute letter a few months ago; as always, it included references to memories she has of me as a little girl.
Thing is, I type much faster than I write, and it’s a heck of a lot neater, too. That’s no excuse though.
Megs last post: Uncle Bill’s Store
WW says: Aww, soupy meg, that’s adorable and reminds me of my grandpa letter writing (see above). And I know, I guess it is like newspaper reading – I want to do it, I believe in it and yet, all the news is right there on my twitter/facebook/email/home page… sigh. guess it’s “eating your vegetables.” such a big payout from those we love/care about. in the big picture, the time is sooo worth it. and what are we hurrying for, really?
April 6th, 2009 at 11:43 am
Sadly, most all of the writing I’ve had to do lately is sympathy cards for people who have lost loved ones. An email doesn’t cut it when there’s a death in the family, and yet, this is the only real letter writing I do these days.
Robs last post: December Sun #2 – Page 11B
WW says: I know, Rob. Kind of like the only time you gather with loved ones is on the sad events, I regret that I only write for such occasions. I’ll try mending my ways, inspired by these words. Welcome to the blog. Hope to see you back again!
April 6th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
Despite the disappearing mailbox phenomenon, people are still writing letters. Most people will agree that it’s a nice surprise when you open your mailbox or PO box and find a handwritten letter with their name on it. E-mails are great for convenience and speed, but letter writing is the medium for actually demonstrating that you care enough to take the time.
WW says: Gifts in 24, welcome. I couldn’t agree more! Hope to see you again.
April 6th, 2009 at 9:45 pm
Letter writing is just another form of communication. I’m not sure it’s going to become really a lost art. It is going to become a very valuable piece of art! Is that bad? Sad? Art is not about quantity, but about quality. If I were to write a letter to some people instead of an email: They’d be surely shocked. I think letters convey much more gravity, ever increasing, the more fleeting media surround them. There will always be a special space for writing letters, just like there is space for taking photographs on traditional film versus snapshot pictures with ubiquitous digital cameras.
WW says:UB, welcome to the blog!!! So glad to see ya! Tell any special friends – like your wife – we miss her around these parts. I like what you say, actually, and it makes me happier to think of written communication as MORE special with its decreasing frequency, rather than obsolete. I happen to have a certain crayon-colored note, with flowers and bright colors from a lovely college friend I don’t see / talk to nearly enough hung up in my office, longing for our young, happy days (ha! we were about 25 when she sent it!) I can’t tell you how much that and you both (btw) still make me smile. Hope to see you here again!
April 7th, 2009 at 1:05 am
Letter is not important for me but, the purpose is the main..
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April 7th, 2009 at 8:10 am
it’s no surprise since I’ve heard the news that USPS is going (or already) bankrupt. The internet is changing the ways on how we do our business and it’s about time for this companies to rethink their strategy to remain competitive and relavant to the times.
POEA Jobs Abroads last post: How to Monetize Your Blog
WW says: Yes! I heard this, too! ML says “now the post office can say ‘check’s in the mail.’” ba dum dum. Welcome to the blog! Hope to see you again soon!
April 7th, 2009 at 10:35 am
I’ve kept all the letters my mother and best friend sent me, back before there was an Internet. E-mail just isn’t the same, not tangible, too easy to write.
I wrote my father a real letter for his last birthday, figuring it was unusual enough to be appreciated. I enjoyed doing it and he was happy to have it. But I’m out of the habit otherwise.
Jennifers last post: Baby, stick around
WW says: So glad to see you, Jenn and verrry glad you decided to stick around. I am loving the stories of letters folks have written. I stil have every one my grandpa and I shared and when he died — I was 18, newly at college — I sat on the plane with the pile of them, which quickly turned into a pretty darn moving eulogy. He always signed them “30″ being a journalist at heart (if not in practice) like me. Thinking of him saying “30″ was sure a lot easier than goodbye.
April 7th, 2009 at 1:37 pm
I love writing letters, I was just never good at getting them mailed! I see letter writing becoming a lost art as well. And the thought of no more paper books to read (or magazines to thumb through) makes me not only sad but crazy! I love books and magazines…I love paper!!!
Ashs last post: New Meme-Tarot Tuesday #5
WW says: Welcome to the blog, Ash! So glad you found us and I couldn’t agree more about paper (much to my greenzo fiance’s dismay, sometimes). Seriously the idea of Kindles and disappearing newspapers makes me really sad. I have a whole spiel on how important books – actual books- are. I have my dad’s college copies of Emerson and Thoreau, complete with his scribbled margin notes.
I can only hope if /when I write a book that people WRITE in it, use it, devour it – the ultimate compliment. and don’t even try to tell me about “oh, kindle allows e-scribbles’ or whatev. bah.
April 7th, 2009 at 5:44 pm
Hey thanks everyone for your comments… special shout outs to some new visitors – I’ll try to cite you all by name in future posts and hey, maybe write you a letter!
I hope to see you back again and am honored that you found me and provided such thoughtful comments! I’ve seen a bit of a hit surge so apologies for not responding sooner – I’ve tried to make note under each of your comments above.
Cheers!
April 7th, 2009 at 8:20 pm
i still write letters, lots of them in fact. I remained good friends with a girl in Australia from letters for a year due to letter writing. And now, I write letters to friends at home. Some people I write to because I hope they’ll write me back, others I write to just because its so much fun to receive mail.
Deidres last post: Returning to an an old classic…my hair!
April 8th, 2009 at 12:23 am
Loved this post. I linked to you in my post. Thanks for the writing prompt.
I still write letters, not because I have to or because the people I write to don’t have email. Quite the contrary. Writing a letter is like showing a true measure of love. How many people do we write letters to that we just feel so-so about? Letter-writing is good for the soul!
April 8th, 2009 at 9:30 am
Exactly! so glad you liked it, Texan Mama, and so glad you found me. Likewise, I strongly suggest everyone check out Ms. Mama here. I have to say I am loving reading about all of your letter writing, even if it makes me laugh a bit that some of us (most?) only know each other electronically.
April 12th, 2009 at 12:27 pm
I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. Thank you for writing this article that I have enjoyed reading.
Nice blog. I will keep visiting this blog very often.
Regard
May 13th, 2009 at 9:23 am
nice article! i enjoyed reading your stuff! keep it up.
June 2nd, 2009 at 9:09 pm
I would love to write and say what a great job you did on this, as you have put a lot of work into it.
June 4th, 2009 at 9:16 am
I really liked this post. Can I copy it to my site? Thank you in advance.
WW says @AndrewBoldman: absolutely! thanks! glad you liked it.
June 15th, 2009 at 10:14 pm
I usually don?t post in Blogs but your blog forced me to, amazing work.. beautiful ?
September 11th, 2009 at 10:31 pm
I bookmarked this page. I really like your site. I’ll bookmark the other pages when I have time