Thank You, Queen Atossa

There used to be an catch-phrase on television that was pretty popular for awhile. "Keep those cards and letters coming in!" Alas, a letter as a form of communication is one thing we rarely see these days. People simply do not put "pen to paper" much any more. In all fairness, as a result of our great advancements in technology, there is little need to write a letter. Why attempt a letter, when you can easily and quickly knockout a text message or email? Still, I, for one, miss going to the mailbox and finding someone had taken the time to write me a letter. In a weird way, I miss no longer taking the time to write a three or four-page communique to a friend or family member as well.

According to Brid McGrath, a professor of history and humanities at Trinity College in Ireland, the whole letter-writing business was started by Queen Atossa around 500 B.C. Apparently, she had the notion that a good way to remain connected to folks who lived long-distances away was through written correspondence. Her brainstorm, as we know, triggered nearly several thousand years of written exchanges between folks, companies, organizations, etc. Now, as a form of communication, that act seems to have run its course. Rarely is it done any more. And there are absolutely no signs it will be making a comeback.

Perhaps what I miss most about letter writing is that it was an effective form of communication, more credible than texts messages or emails. By the nature of the act itself, letter writing required a time commitment and concentrated thought. When writing a letter, one had to focus on what they were saying in order to ensure they would be understood. Plus, as part of that, writers had to make sure their penmanship was adequate enough so the person to whom the letter was meant could read the note. By comparison, emails seem almost too easy. I guess I had better wrap-up this entry as I need to send a few emails to some folks. Still, than you Queen Atossa.