There’s something I love to do when I’m back in England. I sneak up into the haven of my old bedroom, seek out that beautiful old box and make myself comfortable in a den of velvety-soft cushions. From there on, I lose myself in a world of paper and ink, twirling calligraphic letters recounting the tales of times gone by. Much of the paper is yellowed or else frayed around the edges, but I get a real sense of time standing still. I am holding the very same piece of paper as the sender did, so many years later. This is a piece of history that has withstood the passing of time.
Letter-writing. It was, and is an art form. Let me explain. As I read through the letters sent to me by my grandfather, my long-distance friends and my first loves, I am struck by just how personal this form of communication is. A letter is a kind of monologue; an internal dialogue that the sender is choosing to share with you. You are the privileged recipient of their stream of consciousness and as such, are being let into a secret. This supposes a certain level of trust between the recipient and sender, and therefore a real sincerity and openness in the communication. The fact that it is written by hand also heightens the personal tone, for there is so much personality that comes through in one’s own handwriting. Though we can choose the font of our email, no single font will replicate our personality with quite the same style as does our very own handwriting.
Though letters often reveal much about the sender’s life, they are also filled with an etiquette that is quite unusual in the digital age. These letters are sprinkled with questions that I would be expected to answer in the following correspondence, questions about my health, my feelings and my daily experiences. What’s more, the tone is almost always that of affection, starting with the standard opening of ‘Dear’ and inevitably closing with some variation of ‘Love from’. This kind of tone was particularly befitting to the exchange of secrets, hidden desires or confessions of love.
There was something very exciting about news travelling mysteriously from one person to another and later arriving on your doorstep. I remember my heart racing nervously as I ran to the letter box, the clatter of which had just announced the declaration of love I had been waiting for! I remember ripping open my long-distance boyfriend’s letter and devouring every word on the page. One letter was capable of filling me for weeks, as I gorged myself time and time again on the sentiments therein.
At a time of instant communication, it is almost impossible to imagine putting the same kind of effort into our emails as a writer would have put into his letter. Imagine having to seal an envelope, buy a stamp and later find a post box. There was something almost ceremonious about this style of communication. The letter required eloquence to write, patience to send, and faith to wait for a response. Are these qualities that are becoming as antiquated as the letters themselves?
I would love to see the regained popularity of the letter, for it represents a communication that is loving, sincere and everlasting. I shall not be parted from my box of history. Long after the senders have gone , I will keep a little piece of their hearts.
Shiny Happy Me 