Handwritten Letters

I've been checking the mail a lot recently for the last bill from my insurance company with a corrected amount on it (I refused to pay for a full month when I clearly didn't need coverage for a full month, only 11 days), and I realized something.

People do not handwrite anything anymore.

I mean, if it's something small enough for a post-it, then maybe, but anything longer than that? Heavens, that is just too much to ask.

I love handwriting, the verb and the noun. I think it feels so much better to handwrite something than it does to type it out, even though it's much more efficient to use a keyboard, and not everyone can decipher my letters. Maybe I like writing on paper because of the way I feel when I receive something handwritten.

Who can explain that feeling? It's not just the time it takes to handwrite a letter. It's not just the personality a pen brings to paper. It's not just the fact that you learn exactly how well someone can spell without a computer correcting them. It's not just the way almost no one can keep a straight margin on the left side of the paper. It not just the doodles and fancy ways people write your name and sign the letter.

It's a combination of these things and all the other simple quirks that come from an authentic message that physically traveled from someone else to you. It's communication in a form you can handle, a message you can save in a shoebox, a tool you can use to reminisce. It's a surprising form of support that can brighten even the dullest of days.

I have two favors to ask of everyone who reads this. First, leave a comment about why you like handwritten letters, or why you don't like them if that's the way you roll. Second, send letters to at least two people (one for each hand). If you don't know who to write, then start by asking yourself if you even know anyone's address. Also, make sure you have envelopes and stamps.

Don't feel awkward, and don't be discouraged if you don't think of anything to say at first. Write about what you could be doing instead of writing. Write about something you are looking forward to. Use colored pencils or decorative paper. Write about a memory with whoever you're writing to. Draw a picture (and don't worry--the less talent you have, the more likely it will be put up on someone's fridge, even if you aren't three years old). Send a photo or a scrap of something you can tell a story about. Make up a story and tell them to read the letter before bedtime. Just send something in the mail and write on it. It's a dying art that's simple enough to do if people would just practice.

It seems like people get excited about writing letters but then say "when I have time." The truth is that we never have time. We just have to commit ourselves to making time for these types of things. I think Humans can create anything they set their minds to, so why not create time to write a letter? It's not a chore. It's a relationship-building experience, a day-booster. I think it's worth the time and energy it would take to write it.

Help me revive handwritten letters. Please.