Prakash had tagged me in my corporate blog to write on Snail Mail and I am choosing the topic “When was the last time you wrote a post card or inland letter?”
14 years ago, when I was in class 6th … and was getting transferred to my 5th school, the only thing I knew about computer was the BASIC programming that was taught in school … at that time I never could imagine that keeping in touch with friends would one day become a piece of cake…
It was the age of light-blue colored Inland letters and pale envelops … Twice a month we used to share our lives through the words that literally travelled hundred miles … our crushes, the new girl, old teachers, who got hitched with whom … for 6 years we wrote to each each other… Me and my friend Mini…
And given the fact that Dad was posted in Agra at that time, and we were staying in Assam, writing letters was more than a routine … I can still see those moments frozen in the letters… Mom so dearly keeps them locked in her trunk.
Seema (Sim), my best friend since school, after Class 12 we went to different cities to pursue our studies … and even though yahoo and gmail had made their presence, we continued to write to each other. With each letter I would draw and send a comic strip of ‘Sim the Gundi girl’ … bashing her badly {I asked her to send me a picture of those letters, to put in my blog, but fearing that I would again start pulling her leg or rather disclose her Gundigiri she refused} … We are still in touch … but only through Calls and Walls … yeahh thats the FB wall.
Our letters would range from 10 to 15 pages, and if by any chance the number reduced, the next letter would be similar to Fire Mails …
The excitement of writing the letter, waiting for her to read… and then again eagerly awaiting a response is unforgettable … rushing to gate on hearing ‘tring tring’ of postman’s cycle … the joy of opening her letter … or the disappointment of not finding one … notes inside birthday and new year cards … or sending and receiving disney bookmarks … sounds all filmy … but its true …
Sometimes I really feel pleased to have experienced that stage, because everything felt so natural and genuine, when we were patient enough to spend few hours to narrate or listen to the other side.
I still write to some of my friends… though it’s limited to birthdays or friendship day… but with the advent of ‘delivering gifts through internet’ , even that has reduced…
The last time I wrote a letter was around year back when I was on deputation in Kolkata … It was flavoured with flowery words and poetic sentences 😛 … only problem was the recipient didn’t understand my handwriting and I had to read it back on returning.
One cannot deny that the warmth and love a handwritten letter contains is incomparable and receiving such letters always bring smile …
That reminds me, Seema’s birthday is near… maybe it’s time to restart the ‘ Sim the Gundi girl’ Series.
Cheers!!!
The excitement that the tring tring of postman's cycle brings in – I have truly experienced many times. While back in school, there used to be a lot of pen friends and I know how it feels when there is a cover at home for me when I come back from school. Sadly, it has been many years since I've written one down. After reading your post, I planned to gift a letter through post for my dear friend's Bday coming in 2 weeks. Thanks for the post! Good wishes!
wowow you brought back memories , I had written a similar post ages ago on letter writing
Of Letters- Emails-Scraps
nostalgic time , I still got some letter saved and i keep them as my prized possession from my granddad. dad and friends all over
nice post
Letter writing has become almost obsolete now. Yes, it was fun and the excitement cannot be matched by e-mails and FB etc. I still have the snail mails I received years ago stored neatly in box….ok not neatly but still I have them stored.
Nice post.
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Hey its true that we used bemore attached to our friends those days.We used to feel the warmth of the friendship everytime we get letters or greeting cards.
I miss those days at times..
Now even wedding invitations are send by email and i don't feel anything special after seeing it..Just ANOTHER mail 🙁
Letters have a personnal touch missing in emails.
We do miss those days, really! Waiting for that one letter from a friend is so much more exciting then getting the million texts we get in a day! 🙂
So true ! nothing like the excitement in tearing an inland or an envelope to read the content ! I still get letters from my cousin and I encourage him to write more ! 😀 😀
and now waiting for the series ! 😀 Hope it will be mean enough for me to enjoy ! 😀
ya dear..me cooking a lot..wanna join some day? take a risk and taste the food hahaha
Technology has robbed us of many joys bot its something we got to live with 🙁
Letters r so much like pouring our hearts out. I think anything else lacks that too, though its been ages since I hv written one 🙂
i used to write to mom when she was deputed in bhuvneshwar..not any more..
Yeah! Inland letters were charming! We always wrote letters to Tata and Ammama (Grandma & Grandpa)! Tata still drops in a post card every year on Ugadi (New Year)! Love that old feeling.. 🙂
Hey wats this corporate blog?? Btw.. u write.. those handwritten letters had its own charm and we used to wait so eagerly for them.. n nw.. these mails keep piling up and we hardly get any such sweet handwritten mails 🙁
I love sending and receiving picture post cards and those hand written letters 🙂
I too have loads of my school days and teen days letters kept safely at my mum's place 🙂
Wow! so you write a corporate blog too 😀 please share the link 🙂
Cheers!!
In those days, there was a thrill in opening the mail when the postman delivered it. Nowadays with everything instant, the thrill is not there.
Which is your "corporate blog"….share the link plz
hii!
exactly! i agree.. the love that reflects in a handwritten letter can never be found in a cold e mail
🙂