tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post5940438857799626088..comments2024-02-17T17:59:25.010+10:00Comments on Christian Writers Downunder: For the love of letters.Jeanette O'Haganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11057798704247611224noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-81858095685804846332012-02-02T08:26:19.133+10:002012-02-02T08:26:19.133+10:00Aerograms! I remember them! Do they still exist? I...Aerograms! I remember them! Do they still exist? I might have a look when I'm down the post office later. <br />Your story about your friend's reaction to her old letter was brilliant. But isn't that also what friendship is about, laughing at how we've changed, and how much we've been through together? Love it. Thanks for sharing.Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-2485256338931652452012-02-02T08:24:00.881+10:002012-02-02T08:24:00.881+10:00I think you're right about heartfelt emails, H...I think you're right about heartfelt emails, Helen. It sometimes seems like the email is going to be passed over soon. I too like a decent email. So perhaps it is more the time and effort taken by our friends (ie your photo book) that makes the difference and not so much the medium? <br />Still - there is something very tangibly gift like in a physical letter. :) <br />Thanks for your comment.Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-59241278568212795922012-02-01T21:01:42.690+10:002012-02-01T21:01:42.690+10:00I lived in Bangkok in 1998, just as the internet s...I lived in Bangkok in 1998, just as the internet started making its appearance in homes around the world. It was in my home, but not many of my family or friends had it then, so we wrote letters, cards and aerograms all year long. I have a treasured box of ALL these letters, but my favourite are from my best friend. I read them all again last year and almost died laughing... and crying at how we viewed life back then as mums with babies on our hips and in our bellies. I smuggled one of these letters into a school information night last year and slipped it to her during a lull in proceedings. She almost went purple trying to keep it together! Much laughing later and I wondered about MY letters to HER? What had happened to them? They had been laid to rest in a cleaning frenzy years ago. Good thing too, as I also sound like a goose when allowed to prattle too long...... :)Dorothyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13622521834128746217noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-83948222364875933782012-02-01T12:35:16.990+10:002012-02-01T12:35:16.990+10:00Hi Penny,
Even though I'm a Gen Y, I remember...Hi Penny,<br /><br />Even though I'm a Gen Y, I remember the days of having pen-pals and writing loads of snail mail letters!<br /><br />Do you know, that email is almost classified as snail mail these days? I was sitting in a business conference a few years ago and they were already talking about email being a surpassed medium - people want FASTER ... text messages, IMs etc. <br /><br />So whilst yes, receiving a letter in the post is a rare and special treat, I'm finding a decent sized, thoughtful email is becoming just as rare. I try to maintain my email communication and use that to write lengthy letters to some of my close friends. I find that in this day and age of facebook, email is the more intimate and sincere platform - whilst maintaining the benefit of speed. However, when I want to give extra special attention to my friends, I always post greeting cards and short notes with gifts in the mail :)<br /><br />So unfortunately I have cheated and not written a snail mail before writing this comment, but I HAVE written 3 lengthy and heartfelt emails to friends this week :) And as a surprise gift for my dear friend, I created a photo book online which had beautiful scenic photos on each page, with a corresponding bible verse on the opposite page, and had it delivered to her.<br /><br />One major downside to the dwindling of letters is the historical aspect. How likely do you think it will be for someone 100 years from now, to "stumble" across our email accounts and say, "wow! look at these great emails! I had no idea great-grandma had travelled to France and met great-grandpa along the way!"Helen Wakefieldhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17535593906695027046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-55170569325417961032012-01-31T18:24:36.509+10:002012-01-31T18:24:36.509+10:00Hi Ray, the copyright issue made me pause and take...Hi Ray, the copyright issue made me pause and take a deep breath when i first read it as I hope no one decides to publish my many written letters! (I sound like a goose when I reread my letters!) But I suppose that is the trust factor I wrote about, and when I die then maybe it would be ok for the world to read my goose-like self after all. :) <br />My wondering is: in 100 years will people browse antique shops and say "Oh wow! Look! I can't believe I'm actually seeing a 2012 ipad! Isn't it quaint."Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-2663195586554247122012-01-31T18:20:02.763+10:002012-01-31T18:20:02.763+10:00Don't be sorry, I don't have a problem wit...Don't be sorry, I don't have a problem with technology. It's my friend too. We don't have to slow right down to the literal pen and paper to be snail mail senders! Personally, it's the way I prefer to work, but if someone sent me a typed letter, I'd probably be just as chuffed. :) (and my handwriting is pretty bad too!)Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-45594345145281134762012-01-31T12:35:20.641+10:002012-01-31T12:35:20.641+10:00I was impressed by the fact that I'm a copyrig...I was impressed by the fact that I'm a copyright owner. I have some precious letters received over the years and found your comment Penny about the recipient, not the writer, holds the copyright very interesting. I wonder if in decades to come e-mails will be auctioned for costly sums as have been correspondence from years ago? <br /><br />Thanks Penny for reminding us of the importance of pen and paper in a techno world!<br />RayRay Hawkinshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17720158812896505028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-73165409254183782302012-01-31T09:28:38.800+10:002012-01-31T09:28:38.800+10:00I'm sorry, Penny. Technology is my friend. I h...I'm sorry, Penny. Technology is my friend. I have horrible handwriting (well, I think so).It's a symptom of brain quicker than hand I suspect. The only way to know what I'm saying is if I type it. Although, I recently had to give up the keyboard on my IPhone – hitting the wrong button was making me look too bad. I do love receiving mail though, (other than bills!!!!)Rose Deehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00916783669139743112noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-2814459844467306052012-01-30T13:48:55.057+10:002012-01-30T13:48:55.057+10:00Paula, Miss Bingley is one of the characters that ...Paula, Miss Bingley is one of the characters that drive my husband mental each time I make him watch P&P with me. He can't stand the class society and uppitiness (is that a word?)!<br />Glad to hear your daughter has an international pen pal. My daughter writes letters to a couple of friends too, but they are all Aussies so far.Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-81865206372901846372012-01-30T12:32:35.328+10:002012-01-30T12:32:35.328+10:00I love the sight of a friendly looking snail-mail ...I love the sight of a friendly looking snail-mail envelope covered with cheerful stickers. My daughter has an American pen pal so we still get a few, but even then, both girls are sometimes able to chat live on FB. Thanks for the quote too. Miss Bingley wasn't the most lovable character but she did say some sensible things.Paula Vincehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02079952414990463270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-37083409424544267592012-01-30T12:07:04.120+10:002012-01-30T12:07:04.120+10:00Ahh, Anusha, the story of the letter from your dad...Ahh, Anusha, the story of the letter from your dad is really precious! Thank you for sharing. <br />I agree with you about emails being special too. (Funny, my romance with my husband was done primarily via letter and email also, did you keep yours for a record?) I too am glad we have email, but if it comes to the crunch, I'll take a letter in my mailbox out the front of the house, please. :)Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-52694423520839347072012-01-30T12:03:24.175+10:002012-01-30T12:03:24.175+10:00Glad I got you writing, Jo-Anne! :)
I have an o...Glad I got you writing, Jo-Anne! :) <br />I have an old fashioned pen and ink pot and have recently been experimenting using it to 'think' on paper. There is something special about handwriting, and the continual need to dip for ink makes me slow down even more and to think about not wasting words. I'll never write a novel that way, maybe not even a letter, but it has been a good teaching experience. <br />And I agree with you that letter writing is good writing practice! Just another reason...Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-72474096888449714622012-01-30T11:59:33.388+10:002012-01-30T11:59:33.388+10:00Epistles are the best sort! We had an old lady sup...Epistles are the best sort! We had an old lady supporter while we worked overseas who, with her arthritis crippled fingers, wrote us two page 'epistles' several times a year. And epistles were exactly what they were, full of encouragement, reminders to persevere and stay faithful to our Lord! Happy writing Rita.Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-47465220131887032542012-01-30T11:57:28.688+10:002012-01-30T11:57:28.688+10:00I think it's appreciation expressed in time th...I think it's appreciation expressed in time that makes the hard copy thank-you letter more meaningful. The receiver knows there was physical effort involved. Your thank you letter seemed certainly appropriate. <br />As for losing the historical form... I hope it doesn't happen. I'll be a little stubborn rebel for now and keep writing them pen to paper, paper in envelope, envelope in the red mailbox for as long as the mail box stands!Penny Reevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17673959533876970193noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-42654191013893769642012-01-30T11:40:50.228+10:002012-01-30T11:40:50.228+10:00Hi Penny,
I'm going to cheat! Sorry! I haven&#...Hi Penny,<br />I'm going to cheat! Sorry! I haven't written a snail mail yet, but have one on the cards as part of my To do list today. I have to say I love letters but don't like writing by hand. Perhaps it's because I wrote too many snail mail letters in my growing up years. I used to write 30 page snail mail letters to my best friend when I was growing up. And she reciprocated with the same. My husband and I were separated by distance for 15 mponths, just a month after we became engaged. We both write long snail mail letters every night to each other! Ah - what a feast it was to sometimes have the postman bring me 4 fat letters from my fiance at a time! :) So yes, I did enjoy writing back then. Now my hand writing is so bad that even I find it hard to decipher what I write. :) So I resort to typing even my snail mail letters. <br />Personally, I have found that emails also can be just as good (or better) than smnail mail letters because it's how and what we communicate that matters. Since migrating to Oz 13 years ago, my Mum and I have written daily emails to each other that have built up our friendship so much. She's not only my Mum but also a very close friend and our daily emails have made it happen. So while agreeing with you that snail mails are unique and special - I have to say that I am so glad I am alive in this day and age when I can not only type all my letters, but I can also send them instantly. :) I've bonded and grown in my relationships with many through my emails!<br />Thanks for taking me on a great trip down memory lane Penny and also one down the path of Pondering!<br />Blessings,<br />Anusha<br /><br />PS Oops! forgot to answer your question. The snail mail letter that meant the most to me was one from my Dad. He'd written a very moving letter to his 7 children and hidden it in a secret drawer so we found it a few months after his death. It was the best gift I've ever received! He told us how proud he was of us and went on to explain why. I cried and cried when I read it - but they were good tears. Easily the best gift of all! :)Anusha Atukoralahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00859837228901127984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-57896235519722501652012-01-30T09:23:10.810+10:002012-01-30T09:23:10.810+10:00A clever ploy, Penny! And having now written a tha...A clever ploy, Penny! And having now written a thank you letter to a friend, I can comment! A little note that meant a lot to me was one I received from one of the main young 'musos' at our old church when my first novel was released. Being a wonderful composer and musician himself, I think he understood what this book meant to me. I so valued the fact that he took time from his busy schedule to write. I might add too that for many, many years after my husband and I moved away from our home town, I wrote a long letter (four large pages in small handwriting) to my mother each week without fail, telling her about all the doings of her grandchildren etc. I now believe that all that writing was part of my developments as an author and paved the way for my future novels. And a few years ago, I took part in a week long writing course called 'Catch the Whisper' in which we were encouraged to write by hand. I found the experience so fulfilling--kind of liberating after being at the computer for hours on end.Jo-Anne Berthelsenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09775045057529728396noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-83917600321314683902012-01-30T08:39:19.269+10:002012-01-30T08:39:19.269+10:00Oh, yes and amen. I love receiving a handwritten l...Oh, yes and amen. I love receiving a handwritten letter or even a small note. It shows that the person cared enough to take the time.<br /><br />In my historical novels, letters took months to arrive, with the anticipation of awaiting the reply, yet today it only takes a mere few days. Uh-oh, I'm afraid I have already slipped into the easy email frame of mind. But after reading this, Penny, I'd better change my ways. And so, I've begun writing an epistle to a friend right now!Rita Galiehhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14586506137798711397noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2208627029605402728.post-81361246737062470692012-01-30T05:48:42.683+10:002012-01-30T05:48:42.683+10:00I do agree that there's something more signifi...I do agree that there's something more significant to a hard-copy letter. The last one I wrote was to thank a company that provided outstanding service, well above the level to which they were obliged. I could have sent emails, but that would have seemed cheap and insubstantial by comparison.<br /><br />I suspect that the day of the physical letter will pass. At the moment, we're clinging to a historical form. When it goes, something will be lost.Peter McLennanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07446729346706052416noreply@blogger.com