2008 Woodie Awards
Rediscover the Lost Art of Letter Writing
Kate Susa
Issue date: 4/23/08 Section: Lifestyle
Sitting in the attic of a home somewhere, is an old box of letters. They have survived the test of time, though many are tear-stained, wrinkled and yellowing. These are the letters, love letters sent from a husband to his wife while he was away at basic training, preparing for World War II. Sound completely clichéd? Well in many ways it is, but before the age of e-mail and text messaging this "clichéd" scenario was exactly what people faced. Words had to be genuine, and selected carefully as one could never be sure of when the next letter will come.
So what is the problem? We need to change with the times right? Well while advancements in the communication field have helped us considerably, there is still no replacement for some well chosen, well structured words. Though "I <3 u!" might cut in a text message, there is something much more meaningful about taking the time to write out, "I love you." While, "U wanna get b-fast @ 10" is fine in a pinch, it certainly does not compare to the eloquence of "You're cordially invited to 10 o'clock brunch tomorrow morning." Today's generation needs two complete sets of vocabulary: one for shorthand use on instant messenger and text messaging, and one for professional and academic settings; and while it is easy to distinguish between the two, one of the number one concerns for teachers and business professionals is that the two are beginning to overlap.
Yet another reason that we have begun to stray from letter writing is that greeting cards now say what letters used to. "Happy Birthday", "Get Well Soon", "Missing you", "Thinking of You", just about any well wish you could require is covered, in 20 words or less, with a colorful picture and corresponding envelope. Not that there is anything wrong with an appropriate greeting card, after all it is the thought that counts. However, when it comes to a heartfelt greeting, why let Hallmark say for you what you could say yourself?
The truth is that we are a society strapped for time that thrives off technological advances and shortcuts. We do not have time to sit and compose multipage accounts, only to send them off and wait days and days for them to be received and responded to. It is much more convenient to type a few lines, and send them off into the abyss of the internet, confident in their immediate arrival in the recipient's inbox. What is more is that with the assurance of immediate delivery we have come to expect immediate response. Send off your romantic inclinations this morning, and have a date set up for this evening. Regardless of time or distance, immediate correspondence has come to be expected.
So is letter writing the lost art of days gone by? Not necessarily, though its role in society has certainly been redefined. No longer is letter writing the only way to communicate, it is a means employed in circumstances that "special" touch. Taking time to sit down and compose a letter shows the recipient they are important enough to deserve a moment of your time. Not to say that e-mail is completely cold and disconnected, or that in the day to day hustle and bustle of life, there is not a place for it. Rather, if you are looking for the next great way to make someone's day, stop looking forward to more communication advances, and revert to an old standard with a personal touch!
So what is the problem? We need to change with the times right? Well while advancements in the communication field have helped us considerably, there is still no replacement for some well chosen, well structured words. Though "I <3 u!" might cut in a text message, there is something much more meaningful about taking the time to write out, "I love you." While, "U wanna get b-fast @ 10" is fine in a pinch, it certainly does not compare to the eloquence of "You're cordially invited to 10 o'clock brunch tomorrow morning." Today's generation needs two complete sets of vocabulary: one for shorthand use on instant messenger and text messaging, and one for professional and academic settings; and while it is easy to distinguish between the two, one of the number one concerns for teachers and business professionals is that the two are beginning to overlap.
Yet another reason that we have begun to stray from letter writing is that greeting cards now say what letters used to. "Happy Birthday", "Get Well Soon", "Missing you", "Thinking of You", just about any well wish you could require is covered, in 20 words or less, with a colorful picture and corresponding envelope. Not that there is anything wrong with an appropriate greeting card, after all it is the thought that counts. However, when it comes to a heartfelt greeting, why let Hallmark say for you what you could say yourself?
The truth is that we are a society strapped for time that thrives off technological advances and shortcuts. We do not have time to sit and compose multipage accounts, only to send them off and wait days and days for them to be received and responded to. It is much more convenient to type a few lines, and send them off into the abyss of the internet, confident in their immediate arrival in the recipient's inbox. What is more is that with the assurance of immediate delivery we have come to expect immediate response. Send off your romantic inclinations this morning, and have a date set up for this evening. Regardless of time or distance, immediate correspondence has come to be expected.
So is letter writing the lost art of days gone by? Not necessarily, though its role in society has certainly been redefined. No longer is letter writing the only way to communicate, it is a means employed in circumstances that "special" touch. Taking time to sit down and compose a letter shows the recipient they are important enough to deserve a moment of your time. Not to say that e-mail is completely cold and disconnected, or that in the day to day hustle and bustle of life, there is not a place for it. Rather, if you are looking for the next great way to make someone's day, stop looking forward to more communication advances, and revert to an old standard with a personal touch!
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