"The Written Word"

I am a bit old fashioned in more than a few of my ways and beliefs. I have perfumed handkerchiefs and Victorian calling cards in my purse. I say ma'am and sir when addressing my elders and I believe in the written word.

On a personal level, I actually enjoy writing letters. James A. Michener, a novelist and short story writer, once said "I love writing, I love the swirl and swing of words as they tangle with human emotion". I love this quote because it describes the way I feel about writing perfectly.

I realize that people are busy these days and that our ability to email each other is both simple and convenient. Now, when people are in a rush, it isn't even required that they type out an entire word.

You can, evidently, just type a letter or two. Some examples of this that I have seen are; u for the word you, u r, for the words you are, or when place together, ur to represent the word you're. I suppose that's great sometimes, for certain things like short messages, or for things of a non-personal nature.

I do, however, feel that there are times when we should put forth the effort it takes to write someone a letter, and that saying thank you with a written note is mandatory. I believe that when someone takes the time to do something for us that deserves our thanks, the very least we can do is take the time to write them a thank you note.

Not so long ago my husband was shown great kindness and generosity by several of his co-workers. I hand wrote around forty thank you notes and was more than happy to do it, as well I should have been.

My husband in turn took the thank you notes, and gave them to an administrative officer, to be placed in the office mailboxes of his co-workers. Needless to say, his doing this caused me to suffer a complete and total hissy fit. After said fit, I informed him that I hoped he was satisfied to have single handedly caused Emily Post to be rolling over in her grave....Please mail your letters and thank you notes. Hand delivery is not an option.

As far as writing letters go, I have always done it. I enjoyed writing my grandparents and some of my other relatives when I was a little girl, and I am still a letter writer today. I write both good and bad letters. Good as in, You're doing a fantastic job, or I'm thinking of you...Bad as in I'm disgruntled, and I'm going to need your name.

I just think that writing letters is a much more personal way of communicating, and it upsets me to see this practice disappearing completely from our society. I would venture to guess that most people couldn't even begin to tell you when the last time was that they went to their mailbox and found a handwritten letter waiting there for them, and I think that's just a shame.

Emails are quick and convenient, as I said before, but the next time you find yourself thinking of someone you haven't seen or spoken to in awhile, take the time to write them a letter letting them know that you are thinking of them.

There is some really beautiful stationary still being sold, and wax stamps are still available to seal your envelopes. Ladies, use your favorite perfume and spray a mist of it over your letter, seal it, and stamp it. It really is very little effort that will most certainly go a long way.....