Well, I can’t really remember the last time I wrote someone a letter, little lone sent it?? Nor can I remember the last time I really thanked anyone for what they had done for me…how sad is that!!
Anyway, I chose my two candidates: one that I talk to on a pretty regular basis, so e-mail was the perfect option, the other, I haven’t talked to in quite some time, nor do I think she has access to e-mail, so snail mail was perfect for her.
As for the differences, length is the biggest one! On the compuer, via e-mail, you can type on and on, go back to edit, re-write, add to and delete with no problems at all. You can even save your draft to finish later. That’s not the case with long-hand. In order to change something you practically need to start over. For me, I roughed out what I wanted to say on a piece of scratch paper and then set to writing it for “real”. But even then, I think I went through three or four copies before I finished one without mistakes. And the length was no ways near what my e-mail was! It takes considerably longer to write a letter long-hand, than it does to type one out. Not to mention that I haven’t written that much in years, so my hand started to hurt almost instantly…has it really been that long? Aside from a grocery list or a quick note, I don’t think I really write a whole lot anymore…hmmm?!?
As for a response, e-mail was almost instantaneous and we were able to go back and forth some to share stories, memories, and to re-inforce topics or points. Within a couple of days, we had expanded on the conversation, shared much more than what was in the original letter, and moved on (note: the only reason it took a couple of days was that we weren’t on-line chatting, but e-mailing back and forth, checking-in only in the morning, night and on breaks).
My long-hand letter on the other hand, I still have no idea if she’s received it?!?! First it took me some time to write it (mistake free) and in pretty, legible handwritting, then I actually had to go buy a stamp at the post office (I got lucky with the hours though, sneaking in just before they closed on Saturday). Allowing a few days for travel time (they said usually it gets there the next day, but allow two for sure), time for a response, and travel time again for it to get back to me…maybe by next month?? No just kidding, I should hear back by next week, but still, if we wanted to go back and forth a little (like in my e-mail thank you), we’d be at it for months! Or, hopefully one of us would pick-up the phone and call!
In our readings from Wood and Smith, they say that the more people talk on-line, the less they talk off-line (or I might add, in real life)! We are of a day and age that wants instant results and gratification for our actions, no one has the time or patience anymore to send a letter long-hand and wait for a response. In fact, there’s research to support that because of this ease in communication on-line, and I might add, for what’s easiest, our social circles are actually growing smaller and I would agree. The person I sent the long-hand letter to, though she’s dear to me, communicating with her is harder since she’s not on-line (and doesn’t own a cell phone), therefore I don’t talk to her very often and essentially she’s not in my immediate social cirlce anymore: not because I don’t want here there though!
The ability to communicate on-line has definitely changed the way that we communcate with the people in our lives and though it’s great to type out a quick note, send it off, and check that to-do off your list, isn’t it also great to see that card or letter in your mail box…or does anyone even remember what that looks like anymore?!?
