This one was from my good friend N. He's currently in Armenia, finishing up his second year in the Peace Corps, and we've been sending transatlantic letters to each other since he started. Even though we can email pretty easily (and text, too), we save the letters for longer, more drawn-out thoughts and stories. Lately we've been swapping horror stories about teaching.
There's something about letters that email just can't touch. Maybe it's the anticipation--you have to wait longer to receive a reply, and the longer you wait the more exciting it is when you finally hold it in your hands. I've heard that what makes it special is that someone took the time to sit down and write to you, instead of dashing off an email. I guess that's part of it. For me, it's also the way letters force me to sit down and write, to collect my thoughts and focus consciously on what the other person said. It makes me feel more present.
I do wish we sent more letters. There's nothing like holding a slim, tissue-thin envelope in your hands when you get home from work. And those red and blue stripes make it even more fun.
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