Hub City Times

Top Menu

  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

Main Menu

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
  • Contact Us
  • E-Editions
  • Subscribe

logo

Hub City Times

  • Home
  • News
    • Around the County
    • Arts & Ent
    • Education
    • Government
    • Local
    • Police / Sheriff Calls
  • Covid 19
  • Opinion
  • Sports
    • Sports News
    • High School Sports Scores
    • Wisconsin Rapids Rafters
  • Coming Events
  • Business
  • Obits
  • Classifieds
  • Military Photos
Opinion
Home›Opinion›Personal notes: Sometimes snail mail beats email  

Personal notes: Sometimes snail mail beats email  

By Hub City Times
December 7, 2014
831
0
Share:
Baer

By Patricia Baer

Featured Columnist

One of my favorite memories of my grandmother is how she used to send me cards and letters throughout the year. It was exciting to receive mail addressed specifically to me.

Receiving a letter meant a chance to write one in return, a chance to pour out my heart about all the mundane happenings in my life that probably felt like big news as a kid. Her letters were never terribly long, a couple of sides of stationary usually, whereas mine rambled on for pages and pages.

Her letters also carried her distinct handwriting, always legible and with perfect spelling. My grandfather had an adorable affection for her spelling ability. He once spoke of it to me with great pride, giving me the impression that in his eyes “the perfect woman” had little to do with physical appearance and was all about being a gal who had no need to consult Webster’s.

The slants and loops of her writing became a part of her personality, and I often felt she was in the room speaking to me as I read her notes on the weather and visits with my other relatives.

As she aged and faced health problems, her script became less precise. At one point she conquered emailing, which was fun and provided the satisfaction of instant gratification, but it lacked the comfort of her familiar tone I found in pen-on-paper mail. It did not brighten my mood the way discovering an unexpected notecard-shaped envelope among the bills in my mailbox did.

I have tried to carry on the snail mail tradition with my oldest nephew, but so far it has been a one-way communication. He claims he does not know what to say, and he is young enough that it might be true. Letter writing is something so intimate and personal that sharing your thoughts can make you feel vulnerable and exposed when made permanent in ink. Right now, he is a kid who keeps his thoughts close to the vest.

Many people grieve for the dying art of letter writing, saying histories are being lost. I agree. Nowhere in my house is there a shoebox of emails between me and my other family members. And even if there was, it would be a dull stack of paper lacking their personalities.

Somewhere in my house, though, there is a box or two of notes my grandmother wrote over the years. The day I stumble across them while unpacking I will spend walking through the past and bringing her voice back to life for a little while.

TagsFeaturedopinionpatti baer
Previous Article

New local non-profit supports community heroes

Next Article

Overcoming the stress of the holiday season

0
Shares
  • 0
  • +
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0
  • 0

Related articles More from author

  • Local

    Mayhone arrested for strangulation, heroin possession, other charges

    September 6, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • PreventionGenetics
    Business

    PreventionGenetics earns global certification

    August 18, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • Local

    Dale Christiansen assumes CWSF director duties

    June 21, 2017
    By Hub City Times
  • Featured MAPS pet of the week marshfield area shelter adoption cat annie
    Local

    Featured MAPS pet of the week: Annie

    September 5, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • Video

    Visiting with the ladies of the Wood County Youth Llama Project

    September 2, 2016
    By Hub City Times
  • Pictured: A past Paws for Brittany fun run/walk. This year's event will be held May 13.
    Local

    MAPS holding Paws for Brittany May 13

    April 13, 2017
    By Hub City Times

Leave a reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

About Us


Hub City Times is published by Multi Media Channels LLC, N2919 County Road QQ Waupaca, WI 54981.

Timeline

  • January 14, 2021

    New Marshfield utility facility gets green light

  • January 13, 2021

    Marshfield honors district AP Scholars

  • January 13, 2021

    Judge asks for more evidence in Gramza case

  • January 12, 2021

    Local program to offer new sports option for those on autism spectrum

  • January 12, 2021

    Thinking outside of the box

Find us on Facebook

Copyright © 2020 Multi Media Channels, All Rights Reserved. Designed by MMC Team Awesome
×