Pen and paper have become an unfamiliar tool to many and I am just as guilty as the next person.

What ever happened to good old fashion mail. No electronic forms like e-mail, IM or even this blog as a way to get information, salutations, birthday greetings or even a thank you to someone? Is that concept really so foreign these days?

Growing up, I had pen pals - someone to write to. One lived in the same state, one in Puerto Rico and then later, in high school, a friend who had gone to Desert Storm. (And I may be a little less guilty as I have corresponded with several Marines over the last year or so that are deployed to Iraq - just trying to do my part!)

But when my computer crashed in September, I lost my entire contact/address list with all the names and snail mails of everyone I knew. It really hit me then how often I didn't use those address until it was time to send out Christmas cards. Why only the once-a-year contact via real live person to person communication? It made me think back to this summer, just after my grandmother passed away. We went through a huge boot box filled with correspondence sent to her over the years that she saved - and she saved it all. There had to be in upwards of 20 maybe even 30 cards and letters from me. Even a cousin remarked that I was just about the only one who ever sent her thank you cards and whatnot. (You can thank the MIL for that)

E-mails are wonderful and don't get me wrong - I hoard my inbox, probably check it too much as I wait for an anticipated reply to an e-mail or an inquiring missive to even an acceptance or rejection on submissions.

But there is a special thrill that I get when I go to the mail box and find the return address of a friend that may live too far away to break bread with or just a note saying "thinking of you."

I actually love to write (obviously - duh) but I realize I miss the physical, can-hold-it-in-your-hands someone-took-the-time-to-do-it letter. That's not to take away from e-mail in the busy world in which we live, that takes time away from other things - I know hectic trust me on this. But just maybe, I need to amend my New Year's resolutions to include more personal correspondance!

*update 12/28/05 10:30am - I guess the blog is like an open letter for y'all to read - but still not pen and paper - though, I did write this one out at 6 this morning when I woke, then transcribed it to the computer. =)