write more letters

I wrote a letter to my Dad last night. He doesn’t have email, and is a writer, so he really enjoys written communication—I think sometimes more than talking. Mailed it today. I don’t know why I don’t do it more. It really doesn’t take that much to do.

I also worked on my New Year’s Letter, which is a newsletter to send out to friends instead of Christmas cards (I’ve been on the “Christmas Rush Reduction Program” for quite a few years, which means I try to not have Christmas as a deadline for ANYTHING). The New Year’s Letter is pretty much written, I only have to put pictures in it.

Email is causing us to lose the art of letter writing. Emails just are not the same. There is some different psychology in emails. Psychologically, emails feel almost halfway between writing and talking.

Plus there is different psychology in receiving a letter as opposed to email. A letter makes me feel really special, somehow. There’s something soothing in opening personal mail (especially in the midst of all the bills and junk mail).

And I have a few friends, believe it or not, who are not great email people, including my Dad and my brother.

Anyway, I would like to send more letters. My top goal is to start writing my Dad regularly (mainly because he’s a beautiful writer, and I want to get letters from him, and he does email not at all). All my current letter-writing goals in order of priority are:

1. Write Dad regularly.
2. Write a Christmas/New Year’s letter (and send via mail, not email)
3. Write my brother.
4. Write note to people who sent me a Christmas card.

I’m definitely not a big Christmas card person. It just seems so mechanical to me. I prefer the personal touch.