Monday, December 7, 2009

REAL Mail

You know what I miss? Real mail. Remember when people actually wrote letters, or at least sent postcards (which I totally still collect BTW, just sayin'...), to each other? Now it's just emails, text messages, and comments on forums like facebook & myspace. I have email, I send email... but rarely are they actual letters. I have a cell phone, I send text messages... though I am pleased to announce that I will never *rite like ths 2 sav time,, ther iz nuthng gr8 about it.* I do have a facebook page... and I like it, I do. If I were to split the people in my life into two categories: those that live near me and those far away, it would be 95% far away, 5% here. Facebook helps me keep in touch. Plus, it IS kind of nice to be able to see pictures and leave/read funny comments. BUT... I miss real mail. 



     I used to write letters ALL the time. More than 1/2 the time I'd even decorate the envelope with funny pictures. Some friends of mine might even remember a time period when we all used to write each other but address the letters in a really ridiculous manner. I had one friend (I'm changing their name for this one) who was most definitely my worthy adversary in that dept. I can remember a long chain of letters back and forth addressed as things like:



"Ms. Gillian "don't fucking call me Jill" W*****"
"Ms. Jane "the results came back negative, this time" Smith"
"Ms. Gillian "so what if he can't spell, he's hot" W*****
"Ms. Jane "my dad can beat up your dad" Smith
"Ms. Gillian "sex kitten" W*****"
"Ms. Jane "the rash doesn't itch, much" Smith

That's just a small sampling... but man it would make us both laugh so hard, and I'm sure cracked up the postman as well. Sorta like when you write a check to a friend for something and write "for sexual favors" in the "memo" line.... you just know they are gonna deposit that check at night via ATM... or hope the teller isn't paying attention.

     I am pretty much 100% positive that if I start writing letters to a bunch of people there is no chance that I will create a chain reaction (and dear god, please not chain mail!), but I figured I could start small. It's Christmas time! I can send a Christmas cards again! I used to send a retarded amount of cards each year. Seriously, I'd have to set aside an entire day to get them done some years. We're talking over 250 cards some years, I never just signed my name. I always wrote actual messages in them. I also had a theory that if you had been out of touch with someone for a while and finally wrote to them, via Christmas card, they couldn't get mad at you for waiting so long to get back in touch.... since you bothered to send a Christmas card. It's like receiving a gift you don't love... you're still happy someone took the time to get/give you one, ya know?

     Well, I was just rummaging in the basement looking for something that has NOTHING to do with this topic (it was a box of art supplies if you really want to know... and I'm still looking) and I came across a box of extra Christmas cards. You know those years when you buy a box or two of Christmas cards and there's like 3 or 4 cards left over... you never just throw them away. Or the years when you realize you still need like 6 more cards so you go to the store and buy a box of them... only it's a box of 20... so now you're stuck with 14 extra Christmas cards. Well... I found 7 boxes of cards.... so guess what?
Yup, I'm sending some Christmas cards this year.

     If you end up getting a Christmas card from me that is a "repeat" of one you might have received in the past... um... get over it. These are hard economic times! The fact that I am going to be going to the bank with bags of change so I can buy stamps to get all these sent out should be enough! Besides... when is the last time you got a letter or card in the mail that wasn't from Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes, or a late B-day card from a random relative? Exactly.

     If you want in on this, send me your mailing address. A few of you already have (thank you, btw), but there are quite a few people who have not. You might THINK I have your address... think again.
To those that have given me their addresses: keep your eyes on your mailbox.... and look for letters addressed to you.... possibly from "Ms. Gillian "bet you didn't think I'd do it" W*****"


1 comment:

  1. you're like my sister! oh, when she was my favorite sister! she used to adorn every note with little stickers or a small gift. it was such a big deal to me as she lived in Hawaii and then Cali and missed her, adored her, and we were too poor to visit or call her (this was pre-cell-phones-no-one-ever-worried-about-long-distance-charges)........she's not nearly so much fun now that she has decided that she is sane. (I'll tell you about the crazy one day. she was so much fun post-crazy pre-sane)
    *sigh*
    I miss sister mail :)

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