Two days ago – admittedly, special circumstances: my PC was giving trouble (since, seemingly resolved); couldn’t rely on e-mail’s working, so – as I described it to letter’s recipient – I fell back on 1919 technology.
I like being a “dinosaur” in this way, to a certain extent. I have (over and above from the abovementioned contact) three friends / associates in different parts of the country from me, who for various reasons don’t do e-mail. (And I don’t like the phone, other than for “bare-bones” making of arrangements.) One of these, I correspond with frequently, by the medium – both directions – of letters / postcards; the other two, ditto but only occasionally. I do get quite a kick out of stubbornly continuing to be a corresponder-by-snail-mail.
I send postcards regularly, since I take part in the SDMB swaps as well as the ones on The Other Board. But a written, non-business related letter? Decades ago.
I sent a letter last week to a friend who lives in another state. She is severely deaf so talking on the phone is difficult. She’s 94. She tried to learn to use the computer or to text but could not seem to get the hang of it, so we do snail mail. I don’t mind, although I think we could be closer friends if she could e-mail, and I wouldn’t have to worry so much when I don’t hear from her for awhile. But the post office is still in business, as of now anyhow.
Does a typed letter count? If so, five months ago.
My 19-year-old cousin recently came out as transgender, and just finished his first year of college as “Max.” He and his folks live in NYC: I only saw/talked with him a few times when he was Megan, plus I’m 28 years older than him, so we never got to be very close…but I’m pretty close with his dad (my uncle, who is only 12 years older than me), which is how I know about what’s going on. Anyway both my uncle and aunt are being great, but I’m Max’s only relative on his dad’s side who has direct experience with – and a long history of being an ally to – the LGBT community: I felt compelled to let him know that I care about and support him, and that I’m available if he ever needs another adult to talk to (I’m 28 years older). After his mom assured me that such communication would be welcome, I asked for his mailing address at college (for some reason, the idea of asking for his email address felt a little too personal/presumptive). I haven’t heard from him, but at least now I know that *he *knows he can totally be himself around me if I’m ever visiting NYC while he’s home from college. And a couple months ago he accepted my FB friend request.
Before that, almost exactly a year ago I wrote a letter to my then-16-year-old “nephew” while he was at his last Boy Scout campout before making Eagle Scout (he’s at the same campout again this weekend). I stuck it inside a funny card. We’re pretty close, but I’ve never wanted to make him uncomfortable by talking about how proud I am of him and how much I like the young man he’s become. So, I put it in a letter. He thanked me for it right away, but a few months ago just the two of us were hanging out and he told me how much it had meant to him.
I never hand-write letters anymore. My penmanship is OK but I type *everything *these days, and writing anything longer than meeting notes by hand just isn’t comfortable. So I type letters, but am always sure to sign my name by hand.
I may have had it as an assignment somewhere in the 1st to 3rd grade territory, back in the 80s.
Beyond that, I do not believe that I have.
Letter mail has never made sense to me. Why not send things over a wire? We’ve had the technology since the 1800s. Even before email there was always FAX.
Dedicated FAX machines/teletypes were only cost-effective for those who had a steady use for them, like businesses, wire services, etc. PCs were what made electronic mail practical for the masses.
Not necessarily; but a machine that does nothing but receive faxes or teletype wouldn’t be worth it for most people. A personal computer does enough other things in addition to make it cost-effective. Sort of like how dedicated word processors never took off.
