“I’m deep into writing love letters…” she said as she walked in the door. “I hope you can help me. I was up until 3 a.m. because the words kept pouring out.”
Oh my gosh, I love this. I love that people are still writing love letters. I love that people are seeking out special stationery on which to write their innermost thoughts to share with someone they love. It makes me feel warm and nostalgic, and gives me hope that deep, poetic communication (and paper) are not things of the past.
I know I write about this topic frequently, and you can call me old-fashioned if you’d like, but there is a part of me that longs for a time when handwritten letters were commonplace– they were how we corresponded with people– sometimes the only way in which we corresponded with people. Now, handwritten letters are pleasant surprises. And I fear they will become relics, true things of the past, evidence of a time when words were meaningful and carefully chosen because there was no backspace button. You had to think about what you wanted to say and write it carefully, hoping you were accurately conveying what was in your heart in that moment.
Instead, now we text. Short little impulsive bursts of thought. We have become sneakily dependent on our mobile appendages, and despite the increase in communication, it seems the quality of that communication is slipping. I would even go so far as to say many people are failing miserably at communicating with others.
I wonder…what would today be like if we didn’t text? What if our communication was solely comprised of in-person conversations, phone calls, and written letters? What would our close, personal relationships look like? Would they be more secure? Would we worry less if the need for instant gratification were removed? Would we be more productive throughout the day without constant digital interruptions? Would we feel more at peace and less anxious? Would we be more focused on the present moment? Or would it feel isolating? I wonder.
Don’t get me wrong- I appreciate texting, to a point. There is merit in the efficiency of sending a text to let someone know you’re running late, or seeing if a friend is free to meet up at a moment’s notice. But, there are times when I feel an ugly dependence on texting and an actual aversion to phone calls or in-person contact because I’ve become so accustomed to texting as a form of communication. I’d honestly like to write more letters and send fewer texts. And I need to remember that to me, it’s more important to focus on the quality of my communication and on saying what I truly mean to say, rather than being constantly connected.