Today's theme was (happy!) families. I took the hint and phoned my sister.
Communication is important. A little while ago my elder daughter, away at university, said she would like me to write to her, and that's what I've been doing ever since. I bought a pack of floral writing paper that folds into an envelope. There's just enough space for an account of the past week.
I left home in India to return to Scotland when I was only 18. My dad wrote to me every week. (When I say wrote, he actually typed his letters after I complained that I couldn't read his atrocious writing!) I used to look out for those blue aerogrammes and would reread them so as not to miss a single detail. Text and emails have their merits but there's nothing to beat the physical written word.
Hello Gareth
ReplyDeleteHand written letters. Definitely. I think that the speed of handwriting allows thoughts to flow more easily so you end up with a more fluent letter.
Emailing is all about cut and pasting and reworking, with handwritten you have to take the time to think and get it right first time.
The other thing I've found - having had to write some very depressing and difficult family letters this year - is that thoughts evolve as you write. The act of writing can sometimes clarify things. By the end of the letter you understand the situation better, and you have the issues written out in front of you.
Now all you need is a stamp.
d
Perfectly expressed d. And, despite my dad having to resort to the typewriter, the handwriting itself is special too - part of the writer.
ReplyDelete