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Cover Story: Hail to snail mail!
Imagine that your dearest and most favourite old aunt has migrated to another continent. You wish to convey to her your best wishes and kind thoughts. You choose to telephone her. She is absolutely delighted to hear from you and thank you profusely for your concern. But the call quickly comes to an end and the details of the conversation soon forgotten.
Let’s take another scenario. Your darling older sister has recently married, and is now living across the seas in a far off land. Wanting to know about her welfare, you rush to connect to the Internet, and within minutes, type out an email. You click on the ‘send’ button and the mail is delivered to her within seconds.
Both forms of communication are quick and convenient. Agreed. However, had you chosen to communicate by letter instead — no, not an email, but a handwritten letter — it would have been more memorable and simply, unforgettable.
Picture, if you will, your dear old aunt sitting in her comfy armchair. It is winter, and outside the snow is falling while she sits in front of a burning log fire. Clasped in her thin, wrinkled hands is your letter.
With frail fingers she holds it up to the light, adjusts the tiny reading glasses perched upon her nose, and begins to read. She smiles. Then, re-reads it, several times over. A warm rosy glow creeps over her face. Happy memories come flooding back, and the best part of it all, she keeps your letter safely by her side to peruse later at her leisure.
Likewise, your sister will revel in your handwritten letter. She, too, will enjoy similar feelings of love and affection. It’s special and personal, and she will certainly appreciate the fact that you took out time to pen your thoughts to her. However, there is no denying the fact that electronic mail is quick and convenient. It’s cheaper too, and in times of urgency and emergency, it’s a real lifesaver. It transmits news in a jiffy, even before you can say ‘Abracadabra!’ Aye, all true. But, snail mail — as postal mail is fondly called — stands in a league of its own. “Hail to snail mail!” I say.
But, what, you shake your head? Why? “Too time consuming”, you argue. “It’s a hassle!” you exclaim. Okay. I concur. A letter does take time to write; weeks to reach its destination. But I beg you to pause a while. Stop and think of the joy and happiness experienced by the recipient. Imagine the appreciation and their heartfelt gratitude. Let me give you an example. I recently wrote a letter to an old school pal and popped it in the letter box. Yes, I sent it by snail mail. My friend lives thousands of miles away. We usually correspond through email. But this time I opted to send her a handwritten letter and even enclosed a friendship card. A couple of weeks later, I got the following reply:
“I just wanted to share a wonderful feeling with you. Today, when I got back from work, I opened the front door, and guess what? I pick up an envelope that has the familiar writing that I have known for years. Who would that be? Yup! It was the best ever surprise card that I got from my old mate, who knows how to put a smile on one’s face and leave one with that almost tearful and choked up feeling in the throat!
“Thank you so much for your lovely card….you would not believe what a joy it was to get such nice words when you least expect them!
“God bless and I hope that you too get days of pure joy and pleasure that I had today when I read your letter and card! You made my day and thank you so much for being one of the brightest and caring people I have ever known.
“Thank you so much, and long live snail mail! Keep smiling always.”
Believe you me, I was chuffed when I received her reply! So come on now. Brighten up someone’s life today. Write out that special letter or card and let Mr Postman do the rest. Remember, a letter warms the heart and spurs the soul and transforms loneliness into joy. Go ahead, pick up the pen and bring on the smiles!
“Er, umm…,” you mumble, vaguely and unsure. Now what’s the matter? “Letter writing is too tough,” you opine. Tough? No, it is not! Simply, sit down, picture the person in your mind, and then start to write. Express yourself. Write in your own words and in a conversational language that is easy to understand. Make sure you paragraph your letter properly, and your handwriting is neat and legible.
Check that you have spelt words correctly. Some common spelling mistakes are: ‘definitely’ for definitely; ‘ocassion’ for occasion; ‘neccesary’ for necessary; ‘pronounciation’ for pronunciation and ‘greatful’ for grateful.
There are lots of topics that you can include in the letter. Ideas are as numerous as the sands on the seashore. Think. Write about your cat or your neighbour’s dog, or even the family’s pet goldfish. Relate anecdotes, both funny and sad, or recount the day you spent with dear old granddad. Describe in detail a friend’s wedding or a cousin’s convocation. Just dabble in words, and let your thoughts flow.
A letter normally has five parts: The heading; the greeting; the body; the complimentary close and, finally, the signature line.
The heading includes the address, line by line, with the last line being the date. The greeting usually ends with a comma, e.g., Dear Sarah, and, occasionally, very personal greetings may end with an exclamation point for emphasis.
The body, also known as the main text, includes the message you want to write. Skip a line after the greeting and before the close. The complimentary close is a short expression and consists of a few words on a single line. It ends in a comma. Next, skip a couple of lines for the signature line. Your name comes here.
With regular letter writing you will learn how to properly convey your message. You will be able to express yourself with style and increase your word power. As a result, your letter writing task will no longer seem a chore.
To make the task even more attractive, use psychedelic stationery with matching envelopes. Also, cards for all occasions are readily available in beautiful designs and vibrant colours. There is a huge selection to choose from, just take your pick.
When the letter is complete, slip it in the envelope; seal and address it. Affix the stamps and drop it in the letter box for the postman to deliver. Now that wasn’t too difficult, was it?
Well done! You took out extra time and spent it in doing something special for someone. How do you think they feel? Or, let’s put it this way….How would you feel? You would feel great, no doubt, and would never forget the person who took the trouble to write the letter that made you feel so good.
Come now, make the first move. Write a letter, and share in the pleasure.
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