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Post by mrsduffy on Apr 9, 2021 19:21:11 GMT
I started writing letters as a way of using all my fountain pens. But as that progressed I've found so many new friendships and rediscovered the pleasure of stationery. Reading letters from different people I learn different view points and thoughts. I get recommendations for books and tv series and recipes and I get to share my recommendations and thoughts as well. And often it's not unusual for someone to say or ask something in a letter that seems to be just what I needed at a point in time. I think letter writing and reading shows that consideration for others and thoughtfulness for others than ourselves is still alive and kicking in the world. Credit for my tea cup collection goes to a pen pal who sent me a tea party in a box and sparked a love for pretty cups and saucers. Consideration is alive and well, it just doesnโt get press attention.
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Post by mrsduffy on Apr 10, 2021 0:18:38 GMT
All of the above. I keep an A4 hardcover notebook near me and I write things down that happen to me during the week as reminders of things I might say in a letter. Just the act of writing in that book is very cathartic for me. I also feel transported to a different time and age when I actually sit and write out the letter, especially when using my dip pens. That feeling is very satisfying to me and brings about a peace of mind that is much enjoyed and, I am sure, is very beneficial to ones overall well being. As I read a letter that came in, I also try imagine what the person who wrote to me was feeling and going through as they wrote their letter, another source of a good well being feeling. Keeping a notebook is a good habit. I started a commonplace book and there it sits, my good intention once again defeated by neglect. Cathartic is a good word the act of writing and I think most introverts can identify with that.
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Post by emeraldscribbles on Apr 10, 2021 15:01:46 GMT
My reasons are quite similar to those previously listed. I enjoy the human contact, and, honestly, I communicate better in writing than I do in spoken conversation. There is less pressure, and I'm able to think through what I am going to say. I've also found that it clarifies my thoughts and brings forward points regarding the events of my life that I hadn't thought through or even considered. It's also great fun. I feel like a letter is a little gift you made for someone else. When I mail one, I feel like I'm surprising someone with a little gift, and when I receive one, I feel like someone has given me one. That is the magic of letters. No other form of communication feels quite the same way. This!! I am an introvert and would much rather write than talk to someone, and it seems that writing a letter has more thought put into it than spoken words. It is therapeutic to me; my letters are like a journal in a way. Plus, I like pretty paper and pens All of the above. I keep an A4 hardcover notebook near me and I write things down that happen to me during the week as reminders of things I might say in a letter. Just the act of writing in that book is very cathartic for me. I do the same thing; I'll keep a list of topics I want to write about, and I'll make a notation of who I mentioned it to in a letter so to hopefully prevent any repetition.
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Post by summer87 on Apr 18, 2021 8:47:49 GMT
I enjoyed reading the answers in this thread.
I love sending and receiving mail.
In addition to many of the reasons mentioned above, Im curious about people, customs, traditions followed in different countries.
For eg: recently a friend of mine spoke about how in Spain, on New Years, they have this customs of eating 12 grapes quickly (1 grape per midnight bell)...and wear red innerwear on new years.
My English isnt too great either, so I hope my language improves too.
Oddly, snail mailing for me isnt a calming/meditative activity. I fret about making language mistakes, saying the wrong thing/inadvertently offending, being misunderstood..๐
. Having a weird sense of humour doesnt help either. This 'snail-mail anxiety' results in me taking an abnormally long time to reply to letters. ๐
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Post by stompie on Apr 18, 2021 15:56:52 GMT
I enjoyed reading the answers in this thread. I love sending and receiving mail. In addition to many of the reasons mentioned above, Im curious about people, customs, traditions followed in different countries. For eg: recently a friend of mine spoke about how in Spain, on New Years, they have this customs of eating 12 grapes quickly (1 grape per midnight bell)...and wear red innerwear on new years. My English isnt too great either, so I hope my language improves too. Oddly, snail mailing for me isnt a calming/meditative activity. I fret about making language mistakes, saying the wrong thing/inadvertently offending, being misunderstood..๐
. Having a weird sense of humour doesnt help either. This 'snail-mail anxiety' results in me taking an abnormally long time to reply to letters. ๐ Really do not worry yourself! Your letter is great and all of us make spelling mistakes - if I can find the backing I am going to invent a fountain pen with a spell checker facility! And because a lot of us write cross culturally there is always the chance of offending someone, and, the fact that some have feelings like octopus tentacles - no matter where you tread you are going to land on one! should not put you off from saying what you want to say unless you are already aware of what might be offensive to them, that would just be rude! But relax, the letter I got from you was great!
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Post by penguy on Apr 18, 2021 16:42:00 GMT
It is too bad we don't all speak multiple languages. I know English, which we use here, has a few idiosyncrasies....to, too, two, color, colour. My Spanish is of the survival level, my French allows me to catch the drift of an art book written in French but I am sure I lose a lot in trying to translate. So summer87 don't be too concerned about misspellings (the spell check on my fountain pen doesn't always work) and realizing that English may not be the primary language of a pen pal, I think we sort of read around some of what a writer may say. So, keep on writing and don't worry.
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Post by summer87 on Apr 21, 2021 4:00:54 GMT
[/quote]ย Really do not worry yourself! Your letter is great and all of us make spelling mistakes - if I can find the backing I am going to invent a fountain pen with a spell checker facility! And because a lot of us write cross culturally there is always the chance of offending someone, and, the fact that some have feelings like octopus tentacles - no matter where you tread you are going to land on one! should not put you off from saying what you want to say unless you are already aware of what might be offensive to them, that would just be rude! But relax, the letter I got from you was great![/quote]
A pen with spell checker IS a great idea. ๐
Glad to know you received the letter. International mail is back to being sluggish again here. โน๏ธ
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Post by summer87 on Apr 21, 2021 4:02:33 GMT
It is too bad we don't all speak multiple languages. I know English, which we use here, has a few idiosyncrasies....to, too, two, color, colour. My Spanish is of the survival level, my French allows me to catch the drift of an art book written in French but I am sure I lose a lot in trying to translate. So summer87 don't be too concerned about misspellings (the spell check on my fountain pen doesn't always work) and realizing that English may not be the primary language of a pen pal, I think we sort of read around some of what a writer may say. So, keep on writing and don't worry. Wow. Thats a lot of (partial) language knowledge! Thank you for your kind words.
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Post by radellaf on Apr 21, 2021 20:27:01 GMT
Spelling mistakes, where it's clear what the word should be, are nothing compared to handwriting where I can't figure out several letters of a word and can't decipher it from context. I still like getting those letters, too.
What is annoying is when my educated, native English speaker, friends send me emails with bad spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Sometimes, so bad that I can't figure out what they mean, even when it's only one sentence.
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Post by sunshine2170 on Jul 1, 2021 0:18:26 GMT
For those of us who write in journals etc they will become very valuable to our families later on. When my girls were younger (about 20+ years ago) I started to write in journals for them and then they would write back in those same journals. I recently found those journals again and showed them the pages they wrote, some are really hilarious and they loved that I started those books for them.
We have agreed to resume our journal writing again.
I'm also in the middle of making digital copies of my great grand fathers story and its very interesting reading
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Post by Gilly on Jul 1, 2021 12:18:48 GMT
Now that I'm a free spirit once more and have more time to write I'm going to start a journal too....it'll help me keep track of what and who I've written to I used to keep one back in the 80's & early 90's in which I wrote highlights of my bird and nature watching (just a brief date & note so I could look it up in more detail in my proper nature diary) and these short jottings were so handy when I was writing to my fellow nature-loving penpal Mel. Our letters in those days were often 20+ pages (both sides!) - happy days
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Post by ginny on Jul 1, 2021 20:42:00 GMT
For those of us who write in journals etc they will become very valuable to our families later on. When my girls were younger (about 20+ years ago) I started to write in journals for them and then they would write back in those same journals. I recently found those journals again and showed them the pages they wrote, some are really hilarious and they loved that I started those books for them. We have agreed to resume our journal writing again. I'm also in the middle of making digital copies of my great grand fathers story and its very interesting reading That's a fun idea - in theory Not sure anybody would be interested in my teenage 'woe is me' journals / diaries. I kept a diary from my early teens to my mid 20s, then lost interest, and when I unearthed the diaries decades later and re-read them, I was mildly appalled by most of the entries *lol* I ended up re-reading and then putting all the diaries into the shredder. That was a very freeing experience.
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Post by Gilly on Jul 2, 2021 11:33:35 GMT
I would have probably have done the same too Ginny When I look back at how unhappy and angst-ridden I was in my teens and early 20's I could cringe. Nowadays I refuse to let stuff get to me and it takes a lot to upset me.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 2, 2021 13:01:39 GMT
Ditto to all the above reasons why you like writing letters! If I was half hearted before, I am now totally uplifted/inspired/motivated to write more letters I wrote in an earlier post that I sent letters to some of my friends and family during the very long lockdown we had in Victoria Australia, last year. I was thanked by all the recipients of my letters, but not one of them wrote back to me. I wasn't surprised, or even disappointed, as I didn't expect replies, but reading the posts on this thread made me realise that there are still a lot of people out there who will reply to my letters if I write to them. And, radellaf, I was the Grammarian in our Toastmasters club years ago, and my concern for the spoken word is as strong for the written word. I realise nobody is perfect, and many people may not have had the same education that I did, so I can overlook mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar, but that doesn't mean I don't notice them! My husband gets a bit tired of me sometimes when I get verbally mad about spelling mistakes in the media, but he always gets me to check his emails for spelling mistakes before he sends them
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Post by ginny on Jul 2, 2021 17:49:23 GMT
I would have probably have done the same too Ginny When I look back at how unhappy and angst-ridden I was in my teens and early 20's I could cringe. Nowadays I refuse to let stuff get to me and it takes a lot to upset me. I felt there was no benefit in keeping these diaries. I'm a different person now, and I know how I got there - no point in keeping all those outpourings. I knew I wouldn't read them again, and I definitely didn't want anybody else to read them. So, off they went... No regrets
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