A month ago I decided that I needed to scale back my online communications efforts and focus more on in person/phone contact with my family and friends. I am proud to say that I have not touched Facebook for a month on Thursday. And yes, I will go back to being on Facebook because it is a great and easy way to connect with those with whom I would otherwise not connect with. But I will not let it become my number one means of communications if there is an alternative (phone/in person/even email). Another step I have taken during this month is to become a Postcrossing member. If you don't know what Postcrossing is, check it out. I heard on the radio today that the US Post Office might scale back its delivery days from 6 a week to 5. It is all due to the fact that people do not write letters anymore. All we get is junk mail and bills (unless you are green like me and get everything via email). People don't even write using a pen anymore.
When I started this reconnection effort last month I had to think for a few seconds to remember the last time I actually WROTE with a pen and not with a keyboard. How ridiculous is that?? I decided right then and there that I will not let my hard work in Caligraphy class go to waste, nor the US Post Office run out of business. So I signed up for Postcrossing, a site that allows me to connect with people all over the world by sending and receiving hand written post cards. This brought back so many memories from childhood when I had pen pals all over in Romania and later in the U.S. It was a thrill to come back from school and find a post card or letter from a friend on my desk.
Yesterday I received my first post card frmo being part of the Postcrossing network. It came from a small town outside of Oxford. I was so happy to have something fun between all the junk in my mail box. I have now sent 4 post cards to Germany/Netherlands/Finland and Slovakia - how cool is that?? And I am slowly getting my caligraphic hand back.
I am thankful for all the things that I have realized during my Facebook-less month. Here's to not losing the art of hand writing and not letting the US Post Office go virtual!!
