One of the simple pleasures used to be receiving a hand-written letter from a friend or relative. Those days are decidedly gone. Or are they?
We received this letter from an old friend of my wife the other day. It’s a wonderful assemblage of non sequiturs and spontaneously conceived notions, and the fact that “A” took the time to write it all down and mail it to us makes it something special — much more so than a tossed-off email would have been, or worse, a text message.
Enjoy it. And maybe write a letter to someone today…
Dear Sue and Kevin,
I really enjoyed your letter. Today I went on the Link TV website learned about The Guardian’s latest scoop about the NSA pressuring technology companies to write a “back door” access into products they sell that are supposed to ensure internet privacy. Microsoft has collaborated on this in a big way. Then as I write this, I’m watching a show about animals that like to eat watermelon, including a croc & a tortoise. This was topped off by a man using his head to split open the watermelon & eat it like an animal. The show that broadcast it is Bloopers, an apt name for our society as well as our politics & the sum of our lives.
I will go to a political rally on Monday. It’s a protest against a strike in Syria. Since it’s just a few minutes from my house it’s convenient (that is a factor!) & there will be groups in many cities. “H” may go too. I wrote to all of my representatives & the White House about my opposition. I’m not even convinced there was use of chemical weapons. It doesn’t matter what we do in the Middle East — we are not making points for the U.S. We are the imperialist predators & we will be as long as we use Israel as a spy base. We have to break our dependence on oil & put in place a reasonable but dedicated effort to steadily reduce our consumerism of gasoline, plastics, heating oil, and petroleum-based products.
I saw Lee Daniels’ The Butler last night. It was a good movie. Tickets were $15.50. If you haven’t seen it, it hooks you from the first scene & Oprah’s acting was the best I’ve ever seen her do. My cat Grandy is also 20 & such a manipulator but he has a life to be envied. Take care —
Love,
“A”
I miss letters although I do like the convenience of knowing someone can read your email seconds after you’ve written it…
I suppose so… *grumble* 😉
It’s like all these modern things but hey! Good post to make us think though. There will be no letters to be looked through years into the future which is really sad.
Reblogged this on EXPRESSIONS and commented:
i miss this!……….beautiful
Thanks for the reblog!
What a great letter! “A” is my kind of friend 😉 I love the flow of her thoughts. I do miss letters. Yes, email may give you immediacy, but you can’t carry an email around (unless you print it off, of course). I have a few boxes of letters and cards I’ve received from family and friends over the years. Every so often I sift through them, become reacquainted with friends I’ve lost touch with, remember events long-forgotten. My only beef is my hand cramps when I write long-hand and becomes indecipherable (painfully clear as I try to transcribe the fragments of a story I wrote 20 years ago).
I think you and “A” would get along famously… I have an old buddy from college I’ve been writing to ever since, and I’ve saved most of his letters. It’s like a time capsule. I don’t think emails allow you to relive your youth in quite the same way.
That said, I write so little in longhand anymore that it feels weird when I do!
Lovely post, Kev. Review coming. Got sidetracked by major sinkhole problem, so patience please 😉
Thank you, Margaret. Patience is my middle name. And I hope your sinkhole isn’t like what we’ve been seeing in the news….!