I usually write/upload my
art/thoughts on Tumblr; however, due to a class assignment to keep a journal
I've decided to write my "stories" here.
Having not written in free thought
for quite some time, this is more challenging than I anticipated. I have gotten used to academic writing with all of its formality. I use a reflection blog for all my classes I
teach, and after this week I can understand some of my students anguish in tying
in the lesson of the week with their daily life. Several concepts came to mind
this week, and only one stood out. I
have recently joined a new project called Postcrossing. The main goal of the project is to exchange
postcards with people all over the world. Their mission is to “connect people across
the world through postcards, independent of their location, age, gender, race
or beliefs” (postcrossing.com). I loved
the idea mostly due to postcards consisting of three things I love (a) visual
rhetoric, photography or art; (b) the idea of participating in a shared memory (story)
with another person, and: (c) a collectible item to pack away for others to
find at an antique mall 50 years from now.
Clearly with the all the electronic
means of communication, pen, paper and postcards have vanished. Most
snail mail (aka letters and postcards, not bills) tells a story and evokes a
connection to friends and family. They also share a slice of history that can
educate you on national identity. Postcards
are the perfect way to get educated on places you may never visit in person and
provide deeper, more emotional connection with people around the world. Yes, electronic
messages and text are certainly an enjoyable
way to reconnect and communicate on a daily basis, but the suspense and
anticipation of receiving a letter in the email goes missing. How many of us “print
out a love letter” to store in an old shoebox to reread for nostalgia? I would
guess, very few.
As humans, or homo narrans, we communicate instinctually, craving the
interpersonal connections of sharing, discussing and sending our deepest
feelings and thoughts to one another. The intimate bilateral communication
between two letter writers is so much more than communication. It is a story. With the touch of the paper, the feeling of
seeing it in the mailbox, and the running across it years later creates a visceral
connection that an email, tweet or post cannot. Letters and postcards are personal stories,
not a dying art. While Tweets, FB and
social media sites are more akin to speech with one clear message, letter
writing parallels oral storytelling giving the reader a connection, kindling an
emotion, and providing meaning between writers.
Ironicially, Postcrossing is an online project; however, as a member you receive random “surprises”in the mailbox, the joy of finding the right postcard, and the ability to a tale to someone in a far away land. Check it out, postcrossings.com.
Post script: My first sent postcard was received today!!!
With A Happy Heart,
Cynde
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