One piece of paper

Nobody writes letters anymore.

When I was a kid, I had three pen pals. They were all girls, go figure, but it was a great thrill receiving a personal letter in the mail. I'd never met any of them in person, but we exchanged pictures. A couple of them I chatted with online as well, so we didn't rely solely on the letters for conversation, but it was fun.

A few of us in college also sent letters to each other, with various surprises inside occasionally. We saw each other every day, so it's not like it was the only way we talked, but it was still fun to find a handwritten letter in your mailbox.

So why is that? It's not the same with email. Email is pretty much our default method of communication these days. With the ability to reach people instantly, we simply jot down a few lines, click "send," and have a reply right away. Combine that with the fact that online chatting is everywhere, and there's no lack of communication. But it kind of feels like the more connected we are, the more distant we are because it's so easy. There's not much effort involved to keep in touch, so we don't seem to devote as much thought to it.

And then there's the advent of blogging and social walls like Facebook, where we just put our information out there and expect it to be seen. We don't even send it to a target anymore, we just write it down and that's it. For me, anyway, it's so hard to wade through the virtual noise that I constantly miss the important stuff from my friends because I just can't find it.

So here's a homework assignment for you: Send a letter to someone. Not email, not a Facebook message, but an actual letter. Snail mail, as it were. Handwrite it. Put a little goofy picture in it. Let that person know you thought enough about them to sit down and put some effort in your communication.

Just one piece of paper can make a world of difference in someone's day.