Wednesday 12 September 2012

Where there's a Quill there's a Way

I recently felt the urge to re-organise the dreaded hallway cupboard and this would involve me having to decide on the ultimate question: To keep or not to keep. And then the fun part of purchasing boxes. Yes I L.O.V.E boxes. I love a box, in a box, in a cupboard. I do like the boxes to be grouped together with a similar concept and at present they are not. So an overnight job has turned into a weeks job. I am at a point of struggle between purchasing new boxes and keeping the old. Want vs Necessity. Boxes vs Holiday savings, House savings, Event savings....do I really need more boxes to soothe a compulsive need of unity and quirk? Yes! But will I? Let me finish fishing through the keep and the not to keep and then we will see.

Last night I started to sift through a box compiled of birthday cards, Christmas cards and letters. Oh my! Since I was little my mother has insisted that I keep cards. Why? Perhaps for memories, keeps sakes, treasures, hoarding, ideas, emergency fireplace paper, who knows. But, as mother knows best, I have! But really what do I need these for? Without telling my mum *sorry mum if you are reading this I started to sift through the cards and the cards I decided to keep, the remainers (yes new word) were 16ths, 18ths, 21st cards, cards with sentimental words written by the card giver and cards from the parents, brother and husband. Surprisingly this resulted in half getting recycled (or kept for scrap booking needs).

As for the letters, I kept them all. I even organised them by sender, friends or family. Ahh the contented feeling when precious items become organised. And yes they all went into a box afterwards. 

Looking at these handwritten letters with their uniquely designed stationary paper, handmade borders and treasured words it a gotta me a thinkin'....

Gone are the days of pen to paper, a squirt of perfume, a flick and a lick.Why has the art of letter writing died?

Simple. It is to slow. Email has spell check, fancy fonts for those like me who write small and non-cursive and you can edit with a backspace without having to start again because seriously who wants scribled scribbled out words or liquid paper all over that pretty stationary. And that's my view. The truth is I enjoy receiving letters, I get excited over mail in my letterbox. I love any kind of mail, especially the kind I haven't opened yet that is just peeking ever so cheekily out of my letter box with my name on the front just waiting to be opened. The wonderment and anticipation of what may just be inside that window peeking letter? Will it be a letter from a friend, a long lost friend, a secret admirer or a cheque for lost super? But the best kind of letter is the one from a friend who has sat down and written a page of words just for me. That they have taken a moment in their life to think that I am special enough that they want to spend a minute with me. A minute of me reading and 30minutes of them writing.

I have letters dating back to high school years, uni years and even the marriage years. I have kept them all, that is the ones that got sent by snail mail not the super speedy cheetah style of email.

But I do love letters. Email or post. I don't mind. In fact the moment someone decides to send me a letter of any kind - the how are you kind, the thinking of you kind, the update kind, the venting kind, the sorry kind or the kind that you don't ever want to receive but after much self discovery you are glad you received kind - they all matter. Because someone somewhere out there needs to talk and that is an important need on so many levels.

Today, I still have friends who will spontaneously write to me. I receive the snail mail kind, friends who will write the cheetah kind and I have two amazingly beautiful friends who I am fortunate to have write to me on a daily or at least weekly kind. A shout out to two girls who make opening my inbox This Rocks my World kind of day. Kiera and Eva.

**I have never been the phone kind of friend. I try. And my mother can get a good 30mins out of me but the kind of talk I love is a good old fashion face to face or a pen to paper, fingers to keys kind. I like to read the emotion in words or see the expression on the face. My interpretation of tone over the phone has never been successful and the fear of a moments pause is too overwhelming (at least you can sip a cup of coffee when the moment gets a little quiet). 


- J 





5 comments:

  1. Jess - I love this!
    from a fellow card keeper, box collector and keep sake hoarder, this speaks to me more than you can imagine.
    I too am not a phone person - some might say that this is the downfall to some friendships, but I cannot grasp tone or message via the phone. there is something more thoughtful about the time taken to write to someone, or the time invested in a face to face catchup... they make my day.
    ps: emails with you & Kiera totally rock my socks off!
    all my love xxx

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    1. Hello my beautiful fellow box collector, hoarder and treasurer!!! I love it. I feel a little more sane now knowing we share the same craziness ;) I'm glad you liked and appreciated it! Can't wait to finally catch up with you two girlies!
      Love.
      xxx

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  2. Jess! Why is it that I haven’t read this post before now? it’s a good one… and it has ME in it! hehe
    Ah, sometimes, we're so alike... yet so different! I love that!
    For example - I am completely and utterly socially retarded when it comes to talking on the phone. This is a fact. I feel so anxious and nervous for some reason, isn’t that weird? But, sit me down in a cafe with a friend (hopefully you and Miss Eva one day) and some coffee and I will literally loose a day chatting away!
    However, when it comes to the boxes, in boxes in cupboards!? ARG! You’re so organised! Haha When I moved out of my parents’ house, I sifted through the biggest box filled with cards and letter from high school and my teenage years (there were probably some from you in there!), and besides holding onto a few special ones, I parted ways…
    I’ve loved having you & Eva to keep my company every day, its pretty spesh I think.
    Now I want to write you a snail mail letter!
    Love xx

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  3. Haha that's why it is awesome, because you ladies are in it!!!

    I totally still have some of those good old classroom snail mail letters from you. They make me giggle, how much effort went into decorating the borders! Girls will be girls.

    And I think it is definitely spesh, our email love for each other ;)

    Xxx

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  4. I cannot believe that I am only stumbling upon this post now!
    O my lord, how terrible!
    I concur with Kiera... I am not a phone person. Mama is lucky to get a chat here and there, but i try to have a personal visit to eliminate the phone time.
    Craig is the only person who I could talk on a phone with... cos its all we had for most of our dating life (until we saw each other on the weekends).
    I have adored having you and Kiera to 'speak and write' conversations with, and being with you both in person makes it all soooooo much better! now when I read from either of you, I can hear your voices, I love it :)
    I pray that 2013 has more connections of us together in the flesh and in writing, for i am so hunbled and blessed to have both of you in my heart & life xxx

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