Having left a comment on a blog that I have recently started following with regards to sending Christmas Cards and led on to the discussion of writing letters and fountain pens got me thinking, how many of you out there still write letters? If you do what is your writing instrument of choice?
Mine is definitely writing with a fountain pen. There is something special about writing with ink and nib, the pen seems to flow much more smoothly over the page and I love how it looks. I had a very special fountain pen that I always used, but unfortunately DS2 got hold of it one day and it is now ruined. I have a new 'cheaper' one that does the job, but would really like to get another special one some day. Perhaps that is what I could have asked for Christmas!
I have always written letters and had pen friends as a very young child, through my teenage years and into my early twenties. I used to always write thank you letters and letters to relations and friends. Sadly over the years this letter writing has diminished somewhat as perhaps the advent of it being easier to keep contact through phone, emails etc... I still find something rather special though about receiving a good old fashioned letter, opening it and reading the wonderful hand written pages. The sheer act of putting pen to paper and taking the time to sit down and write means just that little bit more I think. It is not done enough in my mind.
Sadly I find letter writing rather a painful process nowadays so don't do it as often as I should and this is rather sad really. I still send letters, but they are mostly of the typewritten variety - or rather done on the computer. This is not my preferred form of medium, however it makes it easier for me, and far less painful without the resulting flare up I get when having hand written a letter. The letter is still sent with love and feeling and good will, but I still feel it is missing that little extra something.
I remember taking a couple of aerogramme letters to the post office a few months ago - they were rather shocked as hadn't seen one in years! I like this form of letter - postage is already prepaid and was a handy way of sitting down and writing a letter - not too long, and not too short. Once bought you can sit and write your letters and you don't have to queue up at the Post Office to send it. I hadn't used one in a number of years it seems (which is why I checked), but fortunately they were still valid and I do believe they got to their destinations...At least I am hoping they did, thinking about it I am not sure I got a reply from one of the people I sent one to!
I do worry though that the art of letter writing is dying out. We were taught in school how to write letters, both personal and official, although by then I had already learnt from my parents. Nowadays I don't think any youngsters are taught how to write letters. I taught my boys, but they certainly didn't learn at school. A lot of people I would think would find it difficult to write a 'proper' letter, if some of the emails and texts I see are anything to go by!
Would love to know others thoughts on this.
