For 34 years, our mail was delivered on our back porch. Talk about convenient. Small town living at its best. The garden club ladies filled the basket with greenery in December for the HIllsborough Candlelight Tour. A fitting farewell to a faithful mailbox.
At the new house, we have to walk half a block to get our mail. More exercise for us, but it certainly feels odd not to open the door and chance upon a letter or two.
Wait a minute. A letter or two? Who gets letters anymore?
I receive lovely thank you notes, but I haven’t gotten a real letter in years. What about you?
I’m constantly communicating with people in writing. I just don’t have to use my big, fat, sloppy handwriting anymore. In fact, I write so little using a pen that composing a longer note now feels physically laborious.
Sure, I think it’s sad we don’t get letters anymore. In fact, I hadn’t realized it completely until I wrote this post. But a really fun email can brighten my day.
What about you? Are you in mourning over the loss of letters in your mailbox?
Yes! We get nothing but junk. But our mailman picks up things to mail for us, and leaves a small dog biscuit every day for our dog. My handwriting has never been good– and writing by hand tends to exasperate my hand issues. I’ll type a letter and paste it into a card sometimes. But more often than not, email. I hate texting but that seems the preferred way to communicate. Soon they’l be finding new uses for mailboxes (both large boxes and doorstep ones)- like they’ve done with card catalogs!
LikeLike
Yes! I totally miss letters as well as greeting cards – especially at Christmas. It seems since we are constantly connected through social media that no one has the need to catch up with a letter or “Thinking of You” card. Texting, Facebook, skype, E cards, etc. are fine but I am mourning the past!
LikeLike
I do miss letters but love the speed, convenience, and efficiency of email. But emails aren’t permanent and the folksy bits of interest, information, and fun about our lives will disappear with them. Future genealogists will miss a big chunk of our current generations’ “humanity” when they research us.
LikeLike
What is your new address Barbara?
LikeLike
Yes I miss letters. Many I have kept over the years like cards, something else not sent that often either!
LikeLike
I do too. I keep writing to my grandkids (mostly postcards) with the hopes they’ll write back. We’re losing a generation of letters to save and treasure!
LikeLike
I have warm memories of my grandmother writing letters to us, when I was a child at home. My mom would put the letter on the kitchen table and my dad would read it to us after dinner- a highlight. Those days are way in the past. Social media is fun and a good way to keep up with family now. (Plus the young people can’t read or write cursive now!) thanks for a good post.
LikeLike
Did the basket serve as your mailbox? I thought one had to have a ‘real’ official, approved box.
LikeLike