Monday, August 06, 2001

The Lost Art, or The Curse of Email

Ever since I was young, I have been a letter writer. I had pen pals, one in France, another in the Ile de la Reunion off the coast of Madagascar. I send letters to friends now and then. Especially if I was dating someone, he could expect a letter or two from me every so often.

I don't know exactly what it is, but I like to send things in the mail to people. Not pipe bombs or ratty underwear complete with short and curlies, but just a simple hello, how ya doin. As of late, I've had the want to write someone, but no one seems to be the letter writing type these days, and that's a bit distressing to me. And so I call it the Lost Art. Quite simply, the electronic age is upon us, and why sit and write a letter, complete with errors and a few day wait, when you could shoot off an email in less than five minutes and say the exact same thing?

I don't know, an email isn't something that you curl up and read a few times before you go to bed. I mean, it's cute and all, the blinky letters and shit, but come on. Maybe, as I have been accused, I am much more of the diehard romantic type that likes to read those kinds of things in a day and age when paper mail is seemingly obsolete. Paper mail these days requires a return letter that's accompanied by a fat check. Ouch, where did all my cash flow go...

People that take the time to write letters really impress me, not because they are akin to myself, but because they have chosen to take some time to draft a letter that is more personal, more intimate, shall we say? By choosing to write a letter, I can honestly tell you that I set aside some time in my day to put some thoughts to paper, and I might even have to do a few drafts before I get the words right. It's that kind of thoughtfulness that I would like to believe goes into letters these days, an honest correspondence between people. It's always with a little glee that I find a card or letter in the mail. These days, for whatever reason those letters aren't as frequent. Usually I just get email, and while that is sweet enough, complete with wicked nasty .mpgs or .gifs attached, thank you very much, it's just not all there.

So I've been searching around, trying to find someone or someones to write to, sort of to fill a small void in my life, but also to find connection with another person who is into letter writing as much as I am. So my search continues, not for that 'special' someone. I'm not in it to try and find some dude who wants to swap porno stories, I can just go visit Mista J and have him tell me a Crazy Horse Too tale. If you're down, and want to do a postcard swap, email me, and let's see what happens...

But in a meanwhile, imagine your feelings when you get a card from someone in the mail, what that thrill is like, and pass that onto someone, maybe they'll write you back, maybe they won't, but damn, don't it feel good to know someone took the time to write you a letter.

This is the fastest way to the Voodoo Heart.

voodoo

posted by Voodoo Child @ 9:19:00 PM