The Lost Art of Letter Writing

As I was sorting through the items in my room, deciding whether they were necessary or not, I came upon an old dusty box. Its contents consisted of an old diary, letters, a baby doll, an album, and a baseball--abandoned objects that were once of great importance in my childhood. Although, my diary included only five written pages and the letters were fading, it was nice to see how I would express myself then, and I remembered events that I had forgotten over time. It made me realize the little importance I’ve given to writing and how much I missed the “traditional” way of writing.

There was a time when letters were our only means of communicating with people who lived far away. Today, there are so many ways, it is overwhelming. Of course communicating is more accessible and faster, but sometimes the simple act of writing on paper is better. Unlike talking over the phone, writing your ideas and emotions takes a lot more thought and awareness. And it is much more meaningful knowing that someone took the time and went out of their way to write you a letter. It is a lot more personalized and it is permanent, it remains there until you either destroy it, or it fades away.

Unfortunately, letter writing is now a lost art. We are too busy and comfortable to sit down and spend time to write a letter when there are computers, cell phones, and other technologies that allow us to communicate faster and easier. After all, that’s what the future is about, right?
Well, after all the heartache over the estrangement of letters in our modern culture, I searched through my box, reading letters full of nonsense or emotions and knowing that I will cherish them forever. I know that even though I will eventually get completely sucked into the world of technology, I will always long for the missed art of letter writing.