A Return to Handwritten Letters: The Joys of Eye-Fatigue-Free Correspondence
I have started writing handwritten letters.
This is an odd development for me, a person who has deeply loved computers since MS-DOS and Windows 3.1.
I have always struggled with sending thank you cards on time, or birthday cards, or holiday cards. Really anything that requires an organized desk and calendar and readily available stamps. It's no coincidence that I've started writing letters now, as the chaos of my upbringing has finally started to dissipate.
There are a few reasons why I decided to take up this old-fashioned form of communication. The primary one is that I just really need a digital detox. My eyes are tired. They often lose focus nowadays, so sometimes I can't even read my phone or a book for a while. I have to look outside at trees to refocus them to straighten things out. My typing muscles are overworked. I spend way too much time on screens, and I needed a break.
Handwritten letters offer me a way to express myself more clearly than in person, and more leisurely than in text. I can draw little pictures. People can see where I have smudged something, and be reminded that I am a real physical human, not just a glowing notification on a screen. It gives me a sense of peace, connection, and the opportunity to walk to the post office on a sunny day.
“How wonderful it is to be able to write someone a letter! To feel like conveying your thoughts to a person, to sit at your desk and pick up a pen, to put your thoughts into words like this is truly marvelous.”
Writing letters requires a certain sort of order.
I have to find a stamp, an envelope, and a piece of paper. I have to sit down at a desk or table with good lighting. And I have to think about what I want to say. I'm not dashing off a quick email, or paraphrasing complex thoughts in emoji form. It's a deliberate process. It's slow.
But that's the point. Nowaday's, tthe onslaught of digital information never stops. It's nice to slow down and think about what you're saying. It's a chance to reach out to someone you love , in a way that feels more intimate and personal than anything else.
When I write a letter, I start from where I am. Like this:
"It's a sunny day in Vermont, and there is still dew on the table outside. I thought about drinking my tea there, but the idea of getting a towel, wiping it down, managing a wet towel...too much. All the steps to get comfortable--it wasn't worth it today.
"So I did what I always do: stood at the corner of the deck, looked at my garden, watched the bees. Off in the distance I could see the lake, choppy and dark blue today. My neighbors down the road have the most beautiful weeping willow. I'm hoping to plant one here this year or next. I don't want to delay too long--the best time to plant a tree was yesterday, or the day before that, or the year before that. We'll get to it. There's a few leaks and cracked windows that are a bit higher on the priority list."
A ramble like this would feel overwhelming in a text, and a bit too intimate for an email. It doesn't have a point. It isn't going anywhere. It's just inviting someone into my world for a few minutes, a true sharing of experience that just can't really happen when you use your thumbs to respond to "how r u today?".
It's an odd turn of events for me, but life is full of those. I'm glad to have found a way to connect with people that feels more personal. It allows me to breathe. It allows for connections that unfold gently, asynchronously, without the pressure of a read receipt. I can represent myelf in my own handwriting, instead of whatever font Apple has chosen for me.
If you're looking for a digital detox, or a way to connect with someone in a more thoughtful way, I recommend giving letter writing a try. It might just be the best thing you've done all year.