Monday, 29 October 2018

A few thoughts on letters and letter writing

Letters are a way to communicate when you are shy to converse in the spoken word, or when time difference means your penpal is asleep or working or soaking in the bath unable to come to the telephone.

Email seems more like work than relaxation. Fingers work without thinking and gotten ahead of your thoughts, letters of some words occasionally swapped around to say, "Off to Splading to do the shopping." How many times do you use the delete key, or highlight sections of text for deletion? Do you regret pressing that send button?

Handwriting letters demands time and you don't have to finish a letter in one sitting. Let your thoughts take you on a journey, and allow your soul to come through the ink. Internet missives tend to be soulless.

Penfriends can be true friends. It may happen straight away in the first received letter, or it may take longer to cultivate and bloom.
Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company
Do you see people sitting on their own in a busy cafe, but writing letters? They are not alone, for they have friends through paper.

2 comments:

  1. When I pick up my fountain pen later, I'll remember your beautiful phrase and allow my soul to come through the ink.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh yes, I sit in coffee shops and write and often, because I am busy, people assume I am not hearing what they say.
    One should be really careful discussing personal and sometimes intimate, issues of ones private life, especially when some one is sitting close by with a pen and paper at hand :-)

    ReplyDelete