Ephemera

It’s not surprising that letter writing and handwriting are becoming a lost talent in our increasingly high-tech society. Text, instant messages, and email offer ease, convenience, and speed.

But I will always believe nothing beats the thrill of receiving a letter or a handwritten greeting card in the mail.

Others agree. That’s why the second full week of January every year is designated Letter Writing Week.

From ancient Rome, India, Egypt, China, and Greece until today, letters have been used to send information, news, and pleasantries. Materials such as metal, lead, wax-covered wooden tablets, ceramic shards, animal hides, and papyrus have been used for writing. Today, letters are primarily written on paper, either handwritten or typed.

The USPS does accept other writing materials. I once received a note from my daughter, who was in Hawaii, written on a coconut.

The first letter mailed with a stamp was written in the United Kingdom in 1840. The United States released its first stamp in 1847. Delivery in those days took a long time. Pony Express/stagecoach delivery meant that sometimes the letters never arrived. Despite significant advancements in mail systems, the delivery is still not always smooth, but it’s still faster than corresponding in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Social media, texts, and email offer real-time conversations, which have led to the decline in letter writing. How many holiday or birthday posts do we see on our social media threads?

Each year, fewer cards and letters for holidays like birthdays and Christmas arrive in my black mailbox on the street. Valentine, Thanksgiving, and Easter cards are practically nonexistent.

An ephemera collector of vintage postcards, this makes me sad. I love reading the notes on the 1900s cards in my collection. Not much space, but what wonderful stories.

Emails, texts, and SM posts can be read fast and easily deleted, and in our busy world of technology, they often are. Writing letters is unique and tangible. The recipient will open a letter, especially if they recognize the sender.

That’s why I challenge you during National Letter Writing Week to write a letter or send a card to someone. Maybe a note to an old friend with whom you’ve lost touch or a grandmother, aunt, or parent, just to say “hi.”

I bet they’ll be thrilled.