Bring Back Letter Writing for Digital Independence

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence has been on my mind lately for a lot of reasons. I took a train into Philadelphia over the holidays and walked around the historic sites where it all happened. I even saw the grave of Ben Franklin, the first Postmaster General of the United States (and a great printer/publisher), who was one of its drafters and signers. But the most prominent and famous signature on the document belongs to John Hancock, whose birthday is tomorrow, January 23. Not coincidentally, it’s also National Handwriting Day.

I’ll be the first to admit that my handwriting has always left much to be desired. Despite the best efforts of the good IHM sisters at my Catholic grade school, I never quite got the hang of the Palmer method. But it was good enough for taking notes, as well as writing letters, thank yous, invitations, birthday cards, etc. for years. Unfortunately, it’s a habit that I got out of after college.

Let’s face it, digital makes keeping in touch so easy. And so transient as well. Texts and emails? Nope. Gone, mostly. But I have letters and cards in boxes that I pull out every so often, going back 20 years or more. So many with stories and snapshots of good times and sad times with family and friends. As the folks at GrayHair Software say, “The Postal Service is the original social network.”

What sparked my connection with a centuries-old break-up letter was seeing all of that writing and correspondence that was delivered through the mail, all to help bring people together and found a nation. It reminded me of the sprawling story told by the National Postal Museum during my visit last year, about how personal correspondence helped to build America.

According to a feature I read a few days ago, hands-on communication methods like letter-writing are making a comeback. Digital natives, among others, want an escape from the always-on digital world.

One devoted pen pal writer explained the benefit of slowing down and disconnecting this way:

“Focusing on one person and really reading what they are saying, and sharing what’s on your heart is almost like a therapy session.”

The article mentions people who regularly send postcards, or even samples of their art on a subscription plan, through the mail. Besides the excitement of receiving something, the intention behind it is what builds connection.

At 78 cents, a letter mailed First Class is still a bargain. With a country as big and diverse as ours, reaching out to old friends or making new ones with something tactile like a handwritten note in an envelope brings people together both one-to-one and as part of a larger community.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.