I Get Mail

Originally Published Dec. 2012

When I heard the title for today’s writing, I immediately thought that there must be an assumption that I actually do receive mail because, except for Christmas cards, I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I received a letter or a thank you note or something addressed personally to me.  So, I started keeping track of the sort of mail I do receive.

  

Let’s see:  A few pieces of mail addressed to “occupant,” a large package from Coldwater Creek, three credit card applications, and seven envelopes addressed to the Pheasant Ridge Townhome Association c/o my address since I’m in charge of depositing our monthly association dues.  However, I don’t think those seven count as really “my” mail.  Oh – and, I did get a rather large envelope from the Easter Seals giving me some free labels and cute notecards – with an extra incentive that I could receive a free blanket if I sent them $15.  I didn’t.

 

Since Christmas is gone, I don’t get any more holiday cards.  And we don’t receive any more bills since we pay them electronically.  Ahh – electronically.  That’s the key!  The reason why I don’t get any “real” mail anymore.  E-mail has taken over!  Each morning when I access my account, I have at least 15 new messages waiting to be opened.  The problem is – they are NOT from anyone I know personally.  I hear from Harry and David – Coldwater Creek – Lands End – JC Penneys – Allrecipes.com – Groupon – Vistaprints – Williams Sonoma – and other places that all want my money because, obviously, I had previously spent money on their websites and they want to hear from me again.  And again.  And again.

 

I also get electronic invitations (also known as e-invites) to showers, birthdays and Tupperware parties.   And we even received a few electronic Christmas cards that had little elves dancing and singing holiday wishes to us.  Right after Christmas, I received an email thank you from my goddaughter and a niece and nephew.  And, I found myself (with a lot of guilt attached), sending email thank you’s to a couple of friends after going to their holiday parties.

  

I know I could have taken the time to go upstairs to my hiding place of pretty stationery, postcards, and thank you notes.  I also could have then created a HANDWRITTEN thoughtful and loving “thank you” to each one of my friends.  But, that also would have meant that I would have had to take the time to look up their addresses.  And I would have had to find a stamp.  And then bundle up, get into snowboots and gingerly walk on my icy driveway to my mail box (in the cold and snowy Minnesota winter, for heaven’s sake!!)

  

It was so much easier to just simply type in a couple of letters and their name magically popped up.  Then, I hit “return” and their name appeared in the address line.  I then typed a short note thanking the recipient for the wonderful evening and/or gift and hit “send.”  Voila!  I was done.  All in the comfort of my den – sitting in my pj’s with a can of Diet Pepsi and a plate of cookies at my fingertips.  So much easier than slipping down my driveway and possibly breaking a bone, I reasoned.

 

It wasn’t that long ago when one received real letters that were written in beautiful cursive penmanship with proper grammar and correct spelling.  No “capital U and capital R for the words “YOU” and “ARE.”  No happy faces declaring something funny or acronyms such as LOL for “laughing out loud.”   (I have to interject a sidebar right now.  I just got done reading this to Norm and he said, “Is that what LOL means?  I thought it meant “lots of love.”) It looks like we all will now need to have a “cheat sheet” next to us in order to understand what one is reading.

 

So, I guess I really do receive mail.  It’s just a new kind of mail that I’ve learned to use and accept.  I have to admit that I like the “instant” communication back and forth and the friends that I have re-connected with in Classmates.com.  I’m curious now as to what the future holds for my grandchildren and what will be around when they talk about their “good ol’ days” of Twitter, Facebook, iphones, Kindles, and email.