Good mail

Today, when i went through my stack of mail it was mostly bills.  And that was on the depressing side.  The bills themselves didn't depress me.  Those are just part of life and have to be dealt with.  It depressed me because that's really all that ever comes in the mail anymore.  Now wait, I did get my jury summons, so that's gonna be a fun filled day next month.  Whatever will I spend my $12 compensation check on?  Oh the dreams!

Anyway, it got me to thinking about how much fun it was getting a card or a letter in the mail when I was growing up.  It always made me feel so grown up to have something in the mailbox just for me.  These days, and I'm so guilty of this, we all rely on the internet to do this for us.  I'll get a birthday card from my families, but once upon a time birthday mail was a huge deal!  Possibly because there might be cash or a check inside, which is rich to a kid!  But, looking back on it, it was just nice that people remembered.

I use to love writing letters.  Even though my handwriting is almost completely unreadable and I end up printing everything (even then...not so good), I felt better once I'd sat down with pen and paper and communicated with someone.  During the summers between college years, my bfa class would write to each other.  And when I was in college, not a week went by that I didn't get a letter or care package from my mom and my grandmother.  And I still have every one of those letters.  Maybe it's being a packrat, but I prefer the term sentimental.

There's just something to the art of writing letters and putting packages together that's lost on most people today.  I miss that and need to get back into it.

Maybe one day I'll get something in the mail that doesn't have "payment due by" on it LOL  Even though I do pay 80% of my bills by check through snail mail, it isn't quite the same as putting something in the mail just for fun!

And, here's my many soapbox and that'll be it.  I feel like when I send a card or a letter or a bill off in the mail, I'm helping to keep people employed.  Someone has to deliver it, someone has to process the check, someone has to make the card and the envelope, etc.  I realize it's not eco friendly, but in this economy right now it's much easier to plant a new tree than to create a new job. :)