PEN A LETTER
Writing letters is an activity humans have been engaging in for over 2500 years. Letters are beneficial for the sender and receiver alike, but due to the rise of email, the humble act of sitting down and putting pen to paper is a pastime that is dwindling despite its long and rich history. The word ‘post’ dates back to ancient Rome, but if you think that’s where the concept of letter writing began, think again.
One of the first known missives ever written was penned around 500 BC by the Persian queen Atossa. But letter writing was far from commonplace. The main obstacle, of course, was literacy, or lack thereof. Then there was the issue of sourcing the material required to create the actual letter – not to mention the perplexing task of getting your message from citadel to citadel! By the time the Romans had come up with the idea of employing carriers, called positus, to transport important documents from A to B, the idea of staying in contact via the written word was well and truly catching on. By the 19th century, the craft of correspondence was so highly valued it was even taught in schools and seen as a necessary and desirable talent for anyone seeking respect and advancement in civilised society.
For the many convicts and free settlers who found themselves in Australia during colonial times, writing letters was the only method of staying in touch with loved ones back home, despite the massive time lag between original message and reply.
Once the 20th century got underway, transport improvements made the exchange of mail much faster. For the first time, however, letter writing as the dominant form of communication was threatened. Telegraph, phone, email and messaging have each played a role in the gradual demise of ‘snail mail’, as it’s become known. After all, why wait days for a letter when messaging on social media is immediate?
In my teens, I acquired a taste for letter writing thanks to my foreign penfriends: Jenny in Washington, Ceri in Wales, Andrew in England, Inga-Nina in Finland and Heather in Oklahoma. Over several years, I learned more about life in the United Kingdom, United States and Europe than any classroom ever managed to teach me. I was introduced to new cultures and new music, and discovered very quickly that people were people regardless of race, religion or country of origin.
As an adult, I wanted to recapture the joy I’d taken in letter writing and thought about acquiring penfriends again. It seemed natural to start corresponding with friends who had moved interstate. One mate of mine was so inspired to receive a proper, old-fashioned, handwritten letter, he shut down his Facebook page in order to concentrate his efforts on snail mail.
I was touched. Writing a letter, you see, is so much more than scribbling words on paper. It sends a message that the recipient is in your thoughts and that you care enough about your friendship to put aside the distractions of the modern world to focus on them.
For those living alone or in isolation, the communication a letter provides can be a most powerful thing. Letter writing teaches patience, it makes us think and it allows us to engage with the people we love in a meaningful way.
HOW TO CULTIVATE THE ART OF LETTER WRITING
• Who do you know who has a birthday soon? Why not send them a proper card and include a letter?
• Invest in some gorgeous writing paper, envelopes and a pen that takes your fancy. Don’t worry about your handwriting, as experience suggests most people prefer the personal touch of a handwritten letter to an email or typed pages.
• If you know someone in hospital or a nursing home, why not mail them a newsy missive? It will really brighten their day.
• When writing a letter, remember to ask questions as well as sharing your own news.
• Value-add by sending photos, news items, postcards or song lyrics that you know will hold interest or appeal for the recipient.
• Extend yourself: organisations such as Amnesty International are always looking for people to write on their behalf. Check out www.amnesty.org.au.