The lost art of social correspondence

[Osiris]

So I am sitting here catching up on PMs I have been needing to send and some manual letter writing and it is occurring to me that I do not get as many cards and letters anymore. Yes, I am inundated with e-mail, text messages, and PMs, but no manually written letters.

My mother always set aside time on her day off to sit at her desk, pull out her very nice personalized stationery and write letters. I even still keep this tradition and have beautiful personal stationery just like my mother and father did. I find however that other than birthdays and the holidays, cards and letters are non-existent. I did get a very nice card from some friends we had in for dinner two weeks ago and that was a welcome surprise.

My question is this, do you think the art of manually writing correspondence is lost? If so, is there still a need for it and do you enjoy getting a personal letter rather than an ad or a bill in the post box?

 

[Principessa]

So I am sitting here catching up on PMs I have been needing to send and some manual letter writing and it is occurring to me that I do not get as many cards and letters anymore. Yes, I am inundated with e-mail, text messages, and PMs, but no manually written letters.

My mother always set aside time on her day off to sit at her desk, pull out her very nice personalized stationery and write letters. I even still keep this tradition and have beautiful personal stationery just like my mother and father did. I find however that other than birthdays and the holidays, cards and letters are non-existent. I did get a very nice card from some friends we had in for dinner two weeks ago and that was a welcome surprise.

My question is this, do you think the art of manually writing correspondence is lost? Yes, I do. If so, is there still a need for it and do you enjoy getting a personal letter rather than an ad or a bill in the post box? Yes, I do miss receiving random handwritten letters and having pen pals.

 

[hung]

I still correspond with pen and ink on stationary that features a drawing of our house.

Additionally, I mail via the Postal Service a monthly letter to all of my Siblings.

The Monthly Sibling letter is done on the Computer using "Word" and is then copies so that I can mail it out.

The Notes and Letters on the stationary are hand written and I usually use these notes and letters to friends, family members and others I know to write my personal note of condolence, congratulations and just to keep them up to date.

I agree, seldom do I get a hand written note, but that does not stop me from taking the time to do my own notes.

Of course I am older than the average here or anyplace else, but as the thread originator indicated, this is becoming a lost art. But, we all can change that.

Great topic.

 

[earllogjam]

Although I enjoy recieving handwritten letters because a lot more effort has been taken and there is a sense of connection and caring for me, I do believe it is becoming a lost art, unfortunately. I usually do not pen letters to people anymore but I do make a point to write and send thank you cards via snail mail.

Osiris, I think writing in general has become very substandard in our society especially among the younger set. I also think conversation has become a lost art also. Both of which contribute to the letter writing decline.

 

[SexandCandy]

I miss letters too, I wrote a few in December of last year, and even remarked in the letter how it had been a while since I had written someone a letter on paper that I intended to mail via the postal service, and it wasn't written on a card.

Interesting, yet sad... it's a beautiful thing to look back over all my old letters I received as a teenager from friends when I moved away, or old boyfriends that I wrote to, things like that.

I hope it doesn't become a lost art. I love pens and paper. Seriously, I'm a sucker for specialty papers and cool writing pens... I got a 100 gel pen pack as part of my Christmas present... I write in a notebook all the time...
Which reminds me, I need to go pick out my 2008 Notebook/Journal... In time for my birthday.

-Aud

 

[Osiris]

Although I enjoy recieving handwritten letters because a lot more effort has been taken and there is a sense of connection and caring for me, I do believe it is becoming a lost art, unfortunately. I usually do not pen letters to people anymore but I do make a point to write and send thank you cards via snail mail.

Osiris, I think writing in general has become very substandard in our society especially among the younger set. I also think conversation has become a lost art also.[/quote]

Bolded for emphasis.

Too true friend. Case in point, this month's family cell bill:

The parents: 2,200 minutes talk time and 600 texts

The kids: 150 minutes of talk time and 10,362 texts

Sad actually.

 

[DC_DEEP]

My partner and I are both strong supporters of the hand-written word! Especially for things like thank-you notes, invitations, periodic non-trivial communications, and the like.

Unfortunately, I can't do as much hand-written as I would like. For a few reasons I won't go into here, my handwriting is not nearly as legible as it used to be. It's better for the recipient if I use a word processor, print it, sign it, and send it.

And yes, while we don't give gifts to receive the praise, it's annoying to get no acknowledgement at all after giving/sending someone a very nice gift.

 

[SpoiledPrincess]

An email is instantly forgettable, a letter is something you keep and can look back on, one of my best friends moved away and although we talk on the phone a lot we still send letters too, I'll start a letter and finish it over three days because I know if I just sit down and write it there are things I'll forget to put in. My kids are both letter writers too and I put that down to me reading to them a lot when they were kids and encouraging them to have pen friends (they both have pen friends they still write to) but you're right, most people don't bother with letters which is such a shame, it's really nice to get the post and in amongst the bills and crap to see a letter from a friend.

 

[IntoxicatingToxin]

We should start a pen pal program. :smile: I love receiving cards/letters!!!!

 

[DC_DEEP]

I still have every letter I received while I was in boot camp, and after my Mom died, I got all the letters I sent her during that time, too.

Handwritten letters are something that cannot be replaced by emails or phone calls.

 

[Not_Punny]

I so totally agree.

But I have let it slip.

I'm starting again today!! :tongue:

 

[Guy-jin]

nostalgia lolz

 

[725672]

So I am sitting here catching up on PMs I have been needing to send and some manual letter writing and it is occurring to me that I do not get as many cards and letters anymore. Yes, I am inundated with e-mail, text messages, and PMs, but no manually written letters......
My question is this, do you think the art of manually writing correspondence is lost? If so, is there still a need for it and do you enjoy getting a personal letter rather than an ad or a bill in the post box?

I think its a lost art but there are many that are interested in it. I think there is a strong need for the handwritten correspondence. Handwriting acts like body language on paper. You can read the words and see the stress in the penmanship and usage of the language. Makes communicating more personal or at least when it comes to things like email.
I have been pen pal writing since '04. I am currently looking for pen pals.

 

[SprinkleMe69]

I love manually scribing letters. More of a personal touch and I can doodle little icons on the side. I can be really random with my writing. :smile:

 

[rbkwp]

Used to sign cheques by the dozens, in the 70 / 80s, and now i try and do a simple task like sign my name, and its all up the shit, wonky and crappy
Who can i blame, keyboards, or that Gates fella?
Blame myself i think....

 

[B_Hickboy]

fuck off

 

[willow78]

fuck off

Writing that to me in a letter would make it far more personal.

Just sayin'.....

 

[rbkwp]

fuck off



i think i wii lpsg blame MrHick for all my stressful lpsg woes

 

[BiItalianBro]

IDK wat ur tlking about....thkx for the Xmas prez...i <3 it...LOLZ

 

[Hoss]

Social what?

I had an aunt who used to write to me and dozens of others in the family every week. Exciting letters detailing what she had eaten and how the food had been prepared. Since she ate boiled potatoes, green beans and roast beef almost all the time, the letters were a little dry. Kind of like her roast beef. Even so I looked forward to them and 20 years later I miss their regular arrival.