Consider Writing A Letter, I Mean Snail Mail

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Jaylotw

Lifer
Mar 13, 2020
1,062
4,063
NE Ohio
I have an uncle who sends books and letters to me, often. It's great, I love him for it, as illegible as is handwriting is. Just to get something handwritten this day and age....

When I worked for my brother's online company, I'd often include a handwritten note along with the product if the customer had called with questions or concerns, or if they returned something for repair etc. It took an extra minute or two while packing their order but definitely scored high marks with customers. It reassured them that we were actual people and cared enough to take the extra minute to write their name and a note on a piece of paper.
 

scloyd

Lifer
May 23, 2018
5,938
12,031
I have a hand written note from Jesse (@sablebrush52) from last years Secret Santa. It's great, Jesse started writing with a black pen that ran out of ink and continued with a blue pen. I'll probably donate this letter to the Smithsonian or perhaps the Barling Pipe museum...if there is one.

I also have a very nice handwritten note in a card from Boomer (@BarrelProof).

I have a handwritten note from (@carolinachurchwarden) that he sent along with a custom wooden tamper he made.

I saved these and I keep them in my tobacco cabinet.
 

bluegrassbrian

Your Mom's Favorite Pipe Smoker
Aug 27, 2016
5,970
51,325
41
Louisville
I have a box of letters and notes I've kept since my early teens.
My handwriting is atrocious so I try to keep the ones I compose brief.
I leave room for a doodle or some other illustrative addition.

Back in high school I got a lot of practice writing letters in Amnesty International Club. I also made a few friends by becoming penpals with incarcerated folks. Not all are trying to scam canteen money, although many do.
 
Jul 28, 2016
7,564
36,058
Finland-Scandinavia-EU
Certainly letter writing is a disappearing art. I can't remember the last time I got a letter, let alone a handwritten one.
But regardless of this, manufacturers are still producing beautiful which in addition often are quite expensive.if the people do not write letters today or use them for general writing purposes. then what is the commercial interest of manufacturing and marketing these outdated? fountain and other pens?
 

mikethompson

Lifer
Jun 26, 2016
11,287
23,315
Near Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Seems like an appropriate spot to tell this story.

Last December I went to the local pharmacy to mail out our Christmas cards, as there is a mailbox outside. Getting out of a car just before me as I parked was an early 20s woman, with a handful of cards to mail. She could not figure out how to open the mailbox to put the cards in. She was reading everything on the front of this box looking for instructions. She was tapping the top and everything. It was bizarre. I have never felt so old.

When I went to go help her she figured it out and left.

download (2).jpeg
 

MacMarty89

Can't Leave
Dec 8, 2021
309
2,311
34
Greater Eindhoven Area, Netherlands
I’m from 1989 and I have been keeping a diary since I was 8 years old. I write in it on a daily basis. It’s written in my life-blood, such as that is, thick or thin, filling the paper with the breathings of my heart. Below you will find just a few shelves of my diary (the bulk of it remains in storage).

4F98E18A-6595-47D5-9D06-AA7B4046EC4D.jpeg

I own several fountain pens, from expensive Montblanc’s to brass Kaweco’s. I enjoy writing, inks and papers. My preferred ink is Pelikan 4001 in blue-black (although I like the Japanese Iroshizuku ink as well) and I write almost exclusively on French Rhodia / Clairefontaine paper. I have been venturing into Japanese Midori paper as of late though. Marvellous stuff.
 

scloyd

Lifer
May 23, 2018
5,938
12,031
I’m from 1989 and I have been keeping a diary since I was 8 years old. I write in it on a daily basis. It’s written in my life-blood, such as that is, thick or thin, filling the paper with the breathings of my heart. Below you will find just a few shelves of my diary (the bulk of it remains in storage).

View attachment 140319

I own several fountain pens, from expensive Montblanc’s to brass Kaweco’s. I enjoy writing, inks and papers. My preferred ink is Pelikan 4001 in blue-black (although I like the Japanese Iroshizuku ink as well) and I write almost exclusively on French Rhodia / Clairefontaine paper. I have been venturing into Japanese Midori paper as of late though. Marvellous stuff.
That is amazing. Someone...children, grandchildren will cherish this.

I'm going to show this to my 8 year old grandson...plant the seed in that young mind.
 

LotusEater

Lifer
Apr 16, 2021
4,083
55,923
Kansas City Missouri
Certainly letter writing is a disappearing art. I can't remember the last time I got a letter, let alone a handwritten one.
I remember learning how to write a “friendly letter” and a business letter when I was in grade school. Kids these days don’t even seem to understand why they should begin a letter or email with a salutation.
 

MacMarty89

Can't Leave
Dec 8, 2021
309
2,311
34
Greater Eindhoven Area, Netherlands
That is amazing. Someone...children, grandchildren will cherish this.

I'm going to show this to my 8 year old grandson...plant the seed in that young mind.

That could be the case, but I began writing this to better understand myself and to have an outlet for base desires, emotions and thoughts. But in order for this to work, one has to have a steadfast belief in and for daily writing. It doesn’t work if you do it sporadically.
 

mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I think just the right library might want to accept this for their historical archives. I'm not sure what the content might be, or if features a particular subject matter that might make it distinct and suitable for a subject matter archives, but I suspect it might. Most interesting.
 
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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
...possibly of interest to a university library that features regional history of your area, if you have been continually living in the same place for much of your life. Or if you work in the law, medicine, business, etc. Or if you have a particularly intricate inner life that bears on psychology,, religion, literature, or the other arts. I'd hate to think of this as ending in a dumpster. Family might sequester it for generations and find a home for it beyond that. It sounds fairly personal, so might be kept private until some distant time. Any donation should be conditioned on the basis of retaining it in paper form. Microfiche or disks have dubious archival value. Paper is the gold standard still. If you have an alma mater with funds, you could leave it to them. Librarians would have knowhow to place this in proper subject context.
 
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Dec 3, 2021
4,791
40,288
Pennsylvania & New York
I have a friend that I used to exchange letters with almost thirty years ago. We used to write eight to ten handwritten pages to each other monthly. It was always a thrill to open the decorated, weighty, envelope. We're still in touch, but, maybe yearly via e-mail, which isn't the same.

I used to trade and collect QSL cards when I was regularly on the CB radio in the '70s. It was fun getting cards from around the world. I could only afford B&W cards back then, and would hand colour them with AD and Design markers.