Today Mary Robinette Kowal issued her Month of Letters challenge. I’ve had the good fortune to be one of Mary’s correspondents since last November and I have to say that her points about letter writing match up exactly with my experience. I was a prolific writer of letters in my teenage years and I find that I still enjoy it. I enjoy the feeling of paper and writing by hand. My thoughts slow down for letter writing and I ponder the shape of things. Sometimes I’ve been mid-letter and discovered an insight into the subject about which I’m writing. These insights are shaken loose because handwriting a letter breaks up my usual patterns of thoughts. So, I’m going to take Mary’s challenge to mail something every day (that the post is picked up) during February. I have to add a couple of personal caveats to the challenge.
1. I’m not allowed to count packages that I mail to customers. The point is to reach out in new ways, not to pretend I’ve accomplished a challenge by simply doing what I usually do.
2. I am allowed to abandon this challenge at any point if it becomes stressful. I’m trying to add slivers of happiness to my life, not give myself yet another huge project filled with stress.
I don’t know yet who I’ll mail things to, or what I’ll send. Something small. Possibly a letter. If you want to be on the list of people to whom (might) I send things, feel free to send me your mailing address via either my personal email address, or my business address (schlockmercenary at gmail.com) If you want to join the challenge and send something to me, I can be reached at:
Sandra Tayler
PO Box 385
Orem UT 84059
No matter how this challenge turns out, I expect it will be interesting.
I wish you slivers of happiness in this. I won’t be joining you. I really have no fond memories of handwritten letters, not even really with receiving them.
I do notice that I think differently when I have to write physically but I don’t like the difference. I feels checking my math in a multistage mathematical calculation on a calculator that uses reverse polish. The funny thing is, I’ve seen my friends who use their HP calculators instinctively get all befuddled by my TI, even thought the problem is written out right their for them to look at before it’s executed. Odd how tools shape thoughts.
It is fascinating to me that the thing which causes joy for one person can cause stress for another. I hope you can find some non-letter-writing slivers of joy in February.
I’m looking forward to continuing correspondence with you. I need to figure out ways to share address with those who want them shared.
Yes please. I’d love to acquire some more correspondents. Thank you for presenting the idea and sorry that it landed you with administrative tasks.
I think this challenge is a wonderful idea. A personal letter carries so much more weight than an e-mail, even if the instant delivery of electronic words is so convenient. As you say, the act of writing itself can affect the writer as much as the message can affect the reader, so it’s a wonderful exercise for everyone. I will take on thie challenge and try to send more handwritten letters to the friends and family who I know will appreciate the gesture. Thank you for sharing this!