In these days of social media, we're sending less letters to each other. But not to worry. We're keeping the Royal Mail alive delivering our online shopping.
Teenage me wrote a lot of letters. I wrote poetry too. It was all rather heartfelt I'm afraid.
Desperately worried about talking to actual human beings, and hiding all my fear in a shroud of Goth, I put an advert in Raw magazine for penpals.
I suspect some of the people who responded weren't looking for penpals.
Anyhow, I ended up writing to lots of young men, most of whom were not in prison. It was brilliant.
Most of them sent me compilation tapes (not that that ages me at all), and pictures of themselves. There was one who sent a picture of himself in a tent, wearing a sleeping bag. All long hair and cheeky monkey. There was one who said he'd pop round when he got out of prison - my Mum wasn't keen. There was one who did pop 'round. I had nothing to say to him.
Then there was Nick. Nick had spiky, cramped handwriting, and pressed hard on the paper. He sent photo's of blue and black. He was good looking and misunderstood, and he lived down South (and no, it was not that Nick), and I really liked him. I sent him a couple of compilation tapes back, and wrote him poetry about Yorkshire moors and Luddites. I introduced him to New Model Army. Nick meant a lot to me. Clearly, he liked what I wrote, because he moved to Leeds! When I started bumping into him in the Phono, he wasn't beautiful and misunderstood any more. He was skinny and whiney. It was a pure shame.
So now we don't have the fake relationships of penpals, but it seems to me there are other avenues open to people. I don't tend to write to people much - it's faster by far to instant message, or email, or go on Facebook, and do you know what? It's brilliant. I love being in touch with so many people who have touched my life.
What about you? Are you a fan of letter writing?
In other news we are almost there. I have taken my final photo of #100happydays, and tomorrow will kick off the #10grumpydays challenge. Can you take a photo of something that makes you grumpy each day for 10 days? Don't forget to post it on Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag.
Other posts you might like:
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| Thanks to Dave and Neil for this pic of teenage me |
Desperately worried about talking to actual human beings, and hiding all my fear in a shroud of Goth, I put an advert in Raw magazine for penpals.
I suspect some of the people who responded weren't looking for penpals.
Anyhow, I ended up writing to lots of young men, most of whom were not in prison. It was brilliant.
Most of them sent me compilation tapes (not that that ages me at all), and pictures of themselves. There was one who sent a picture of himself in a tent, wearing a sleeping bag. All long hair and cheeky monkey. There was one who said he'd pop round when he got out of prison - my Mum wasn't keen. There was one who did pop 'round. I had nothing to say to him.
Then there was Nick. Nick had spiky, cramped handwriting, and pressed hard on the paper. He sent photo's of blue and black. He was good looking and misunderstood, and he lived down South (and no, it was not that Nick), and I really liked him. I sent him a couple of compilation tapes back, and wrote him poetry about Yorkshire moors and Luddites. I introduced him to New Model Army. Nick meant a lot to me. Clearly, he liked what I wrote, because he moved to Leeds! When I started bumping into him in the Phono, he wasn't beautiful and misunderstood any more. He was skinny and whiney. It was a pure shame.
So now we don't have the fake relationships of penpals, but it seems to me there are other avenues open to people. I don't tend to write to people much - it's faster by far to instant message, or email, or go on Facebook, and do you know what? It's brilliant. I love being in touch with so many people who have touched my life.
What about you? Are you a fan of letter writing?
In other news we are almost there. I have taken my final photo of #100happydays, and tomorrow will kick off the #10grumpydays challenge. Can you take a photo of something that makes you grumpy each day for 10 days? Don't forget to post it on Facebook or Instagram and use the hashtag.
Other posts you might like:
The book challenge
Words at 11/6/14 - 86,500.
47,000 words done since the challenge began, 4,500 this month.
Where I'm at in First Draft - Chapter 20.
What I did last - Yet more sex. I mean, I'm happy they're happy, but they need to eat!
Thanks to my friend Emma for the inspiration for today's post.
Thanks to my friend Emma for the inspiration for today's post.
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