Getting back to old roots

I had a little time on my side today and decided to continue a conversation I have been engaging in with a friend on email, when it suddenly dawned on me whilst writing that it was kind of weird to be penning such longish emails. I don't think I've done this for.... it's so long I can't remember when was the last time I actively sat down and spilt my guts out to a friend on paper, well, electronic paper in this case.

I do remember the days when I was in London, and the only way I could keep in touch with friends was to write letters. No world-wide-web then. Now when I think back about those times, I'd go "How quaint!". I would buy pretty pastel colored paper, some times with prints on them. Some were scented, and I remember how precious I thought beautiful writing paper and envelops were. Each letter I wrote was special. I would pre-plan what I'll write. After all, I had to squeeze whatever I was dying to update on that one sheet. A poor student like me could not afford to mail letters heavier than 18 grams, and there was no way in hell I was going to waste good paper by writing in huge fonts or to revise what I wanted to say midway. There were occasions when I chanced upon some beautiful stickers in the stationary stores and would buy them and stick them in the letters. That was how I went about personalizing my letters... I just rolled my eyes thinking about that.

Times have changed hasn't it? There was email, then messenging and now a host of networks to connect with one another. It certainly has made it easier to keep in touch with friends that I otherwise wouldn't. But, most of it is so impersonal, and in a way it has also distanced me from friends that I might have forged closer relationships with. Even now, with the gang that I hang out with, we exclusively make appointments with one another through SMS texting. None of that phone calls or chatting till the wee hours of the morning. So, I'm glad I've found a friend who appreciates the lost art of exchanging words of the heart in writing. True, it isn't the same as putting pen to paper and breathing in the scent of ink on pulp. And, of course, it can't beat the exhilaration of finding some thing from the postman. But hey, I'm not fussed. Besides, I'm happy to pretend that I'm being old school... Oh well, sort of...