Friends, in the magazine The Week I recently read our dear post office is operating in the red and things aren't looking up. They're down $3.8 billion this year so far. Overall mail volume is declining and has been for three years. Now if you are like me, you get a lot of junk mail and you may begin to feel this big, bulky government system is just pushing around lots of worthless ads. You might even start to feel that we don't need the U.S. Postal serices.
But as you can tell, on this blog we are fans of the post office, postal system, and most postal workers! BIG FANS in fact. They have helped us to stay in touch for years. (In fact I believe Jessica and I once pondered which country's Post Office was shipping our letters between Japan and Samoa. Who was paying for them we wondered? But in the end we were just glad Air Mail existed as it allowed us to continue our communication.) So I'd like to encourage people to see the good in this service.
In the very informative article I read, a Post Office rep is quoted as saying, what would help is to "urge the public to mail a letter to a loved one and do it weekly." That's exactly what I'm doing-- people send some mail! I'll do you one better- take your Christmas and other Holiday gifts there to ship rather than the other guys. Stay tuned for this weeks coming blog post, it will help spring you to action on behalf of our shrinking postal services.
Hear! Hear! I second Lynn's challenge. Write a letter! Send a package! I am realizing though that many many people these days need some inspiration when it comes to letter writing. Especially since in this modern era you might find your handcramped up and your mind wishing you could edit mid-sentence. Also, what to write... Really, anything goes. When it comes to letters deep thoughts and what you had for breakfast are all in the line of acceptable topics. Considering this, I would like to give two sources of inspiration to get you going:
ReplyDeleteThe first: An article by Stacy Schiff from the NY Times Sunday Book Review called 'Please Mr. Postman' on a book by Thomas Malone called "People and their Letters." I havent read the book but it is on my list and the article is great. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/29/books/review/Schiff-t.html
The second: Is a podcast from The Moth (http://www.themoth.org/) that can be downloaded free from itunes by Kevin Wilson. Okay, frankly the story is more about growing up and first loves than letter writing, but it is great none-the-less. The story was also told at Detroit's first StorySLAM, and Lynn and I are both Michiganders (in a sense) I couldnt help but share. Enjoy and happy mailing!
I am also a fan of the post-office! A friend asked me what I do when I get stressed and I said - I sit and write letters to friends. Sometimes I'll relay what is heavy on my mind, but more often than not, my stream of ink parallels my consciousness.
ReplyDeleteI'm enjoying this website very much. You ladies are quite talented! Keep it up :)