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Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2021 8:10:50 GMT
This subject was inspired by alcyone who mentioned a "clear desk".
I suffer from a fear-of-a-clear-desk syndrome and I wonder, if you have a similar quirk?
Whenever there's only one letter left to reply to, I find myself postponing the answer until another letter arrives.
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Post by distractedmom on Feb 4, 2021 16:40:30 GMT
Whenever I decide to do something, I go ALL IN, so when I started this hobby 5 years ago, I wrote to everyone. I don't ever want anyone to feel left out. This is why I write to over 50 people and I will never NOT have a reply pile. I am so sorry for my long response times!
I try to match the length of my reply to the length of the letter received. I label my penpals as "short-letter penpals" and "long-letter penpals." Is that a quirk or do the rest of you do that as well?
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Post by stompie on Feb 4, 2021 19:01:15 GMT
A file for penpal letters: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachio, Honey Roast, Marshmallows or Ice Cream. Is that quirky?
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Post by Mia on Feb 4, 2021 19:31:32 GMT
I do fear an empty reply pile! So, with that in mind, when I knew I'd probably have a few days without post (turned out to be 10), I didn't write any letters for a few days.
A thought with regards to labelling long/short letter pals, how about also regular, and occasional as well? Some letters perhaps need their replies held (last year, two penpals moved countries, and until they both got postal addresses/out of quarantine, there perhaps was no point in replying).
I like to reply in order of receipt, but there are circumstances, including noted above, to let others jump the queue or be delayed...
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Post by emeraldscribbles on Feb 4, 2021 20:15:19 GMT
Whenever I decide to do something, I go ALL IN, so when I started this hobby 5 years ago, I wrote to everyone. I don't ever want anyone to feel left out. This is why I write to over 50 people and I will never NOT have a reply pile. I am so sorry for my long response times! I try to match the length of my reply to the length of the letter received. I label my penpals as "short-letter penpals" and "long-letter penpals." Is that a quirk or do the rest of you do that as well? I do the same on the length of my replies; I can get pretty wordy but try to match the length of letter sent to me. I would feel bad sending a 1-2 page letter to someone who wrote me 5+ pages, etc. A file for penpal letters: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachio, Honey Roast, Marshmallows or Ice Cream. Is that quirky? Ok, I'm curious...elaborate!!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2021 8:43:00 GMT
A file for penpal letters: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachio, Honey Roast, Marshmallows or Ice Cream. Is that quirky? As long as I'd be in the Ice cream file, I'd be fine.
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Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2021 8:44:42 GMT
when I started this hobby 5 years ago Off topic: Was that hobby totally new for you? Didn't you have any penpals when you were a teenager?
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Post by InsomniaQueen on Feb 5, 2021 17:01:44 GMT
A file for penpal letters: Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachio, Honey Roast, Marshmallows or Ice Cream. Is that quirky? Makes me curious to know which file I'm in... I mean, I'm a bit nuts...
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Post by InsomniaQueen on Feb 5, 2021 17:14:45 GMT
Whenever I decide to do something, I go ALL IN, so when I started this hobby 5 years ago, I wrote to everyone. I don't ever want anyone to feel left out. This is why I write to over 50 people and I will never NOT have a reply pile. I am so sorry for my long response times! I try to match the length of my reply to the length of the letter received. I label my penpals as "short-letter penpals" and "long-letter penpals." Is that a quirk or do the rest of you do that as well? As someone who even more recently came to this hobby, I have to say that I am also an ALL IN person. I write to everyone and would be devastated to know I missed someone. I have answered 5Qs or otherwise responded to folks and never got a reply, and I wouldn't want someone else to feel that way. (I realize it probably wasn't intentional and - with the state of the current postal system - it is possible that the person never received my letter, so I got over it. There's no use being hurt about something the other person likely never noticed. SO don't think I'm whining about it.) If, for some reason, I can't reply to a long letter with a long letter, I make sure to mention the reason why. Usually, it means that I will be writing more in my next letter. That said, I tend to write medium to long letters anyway, so it isn't usually a problem. I think trying to match the length of a reply to the length received is a good practice. I've written multiple pages and then received a paragraph or two back, so... One pen pal recently apologized for the brevity of her replies, explaining that she is the sole caretaker of her elderly father. She wanted me to know why she didn't get into answering some questions that I asked. Anyway, I suppose all of that rambling was just to say that I don't know that these things are really "quirks", distractedmom. I think they are just being a kind human.
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Post by InsomniaQueen on Feb 5, 2021 17:16:19 GMT
It's a long & funny story but when Dale started his career he was FORCED to work on a clear desk....or else! So. all these years later that is exactly what he still does. It's a sickness and he is the first to admit to being a sick, twisted and @*#!ed up individual. We always respond to letters to as quickly as we can with everything else happening and regurlarly have none left to answer (like this week) so maybe we just need a few more pen friends @dignum, I will take care that Dale never sees what MY desk looks like since he would probably develop and incurable eye twitch.
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Post by InsomniaQueen on Feb 5, 2021 17:17:49 GMT
I do fear an empty reply pile! So, with that in mind, when I knew I'd probably have a few days without post (turned out to be 10), I didn't write any letters for a few days. A thought with regards to labelling long/short letter pals, how about also regular, and occasional as well? Some letters perhaps need their replies held (last year, two penpals moved countries, and until they both got postal addresses/out of quarantine, there perhaps was no point in replying). I like to reply in order of receipt, but there are circumstances, including noted above, to let others jump the queue or be delayed... You fear having an empty reply pile, and I can't stand to have a single letter waiting for a reply. It sits there and looks at me until I reply to it and file it away. LOL
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Post by distractedmom on Feb 5, 2021 17:58:26 GMT
when I started this hobby 5 years ago Off topic: Was that hobby totally new for you? Didn't you have any penpals when you were a teenager? I moved a lot, so I had friends that I wrote to, but when email and social media came about, we quit writing paper letters and just kept up digitally. My friends don't love pens and paper like I do, so I came here to make new friends who love the art of writing.
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Post by InsomniaQueen on Feb 5, 2021 21:44:10 GMT
@dignum , I will take care that Dale never sees what MY desk looks like since he would probably develop and incurable eye twitch. The funny thing is that my desk always, always looks messy with multiple projects strewn across it. We've talked about sharing an office/study but for some unknown reason it just hasn't happened. Yet. Dale also coped with his staff working on messy desks even though his was not. It never seemed to bother him too much It actually bothers me to have a messy desk, but it always seems to happen no matter what. The gremlins seem to follow me everywhere. LOL
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Post by davidv on Feb 5, 2021 23:59:15 GMT
My desk surface often has a few things on it, so isn’t totally “clean”, but is tidy enough. As for letter reply piles, like @dignum and InsomniaQueen, I typically reply to letters pretty soon after I receive them, so often don’t have a pile.
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Post by davidv on Feb 6, 2021 0:04:14 GMT
Oh, and as for letter length, I do try to match the length received, but very roughly. Often I’ll still write a medium long letter to a short reply, but if their letter was short, I feel like I have permission to be short too. It depends to on if I have interesting things to say, or if I’m desperately trying to come up with something to write about.
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