You have got mail

You have got mail 

Walk down the driveway, open the mailbox door and take out the freshly delivered mail. I am always enthusiastic about what surprise I will find. Only to be mostly disappointed with yet another piece of junk mail or yet another bill. I maintain that ever present feeling of expectation of something fun or personal. The other day I received a " Thank you" card from a dear friend. It was hand written. What a joy !! You are probably thinking that I have gone crazy, since you are wondering " Well he has email and texting and social media, I am sure he gets plenty of mail." Well you are absolutely right. I get plenty from every electronic avenue possible including faxes, texts, comments,  emails, pokes, e-messages. The list is numerous and invariably too time consuming to even keep up. One problem. It is all typed. No personal energy attached. When I write with an ink pen on paper, I transmit not just my thoughts and ideas but a part of my spiritual energy in the hand-writing process. Granted my penmanship has much to be desired, yet the transmission is what is lacking in my opinion. I am connected to everyone through electronic mediums yet I am disconnected from everyone due to the lack of energetic transmission. 

In my youth I would take great pride and pains to write letters to friends and family living abroad. Fresh smelling blank piece of white paper on which  anything was writable. A nice heavy nib fountain pen with dark ink to navigate my thoughts from the depths of my soul to match the blackness of the ink. Crisp folds. Insert in envelope. Lick the stamp. NEATLY write the address of the recipient. Off to the post office to mail it. Great pride, great joy, for both sender and receiver. A lot has become remiss with this dying art. The anticipation of the letter from a loved one was half the fun, the rest was opening it and the replying back. My father and his father had the habits of answering these hand written letters immediately. Correspondence was an art. I worry that my children may never know this art. The brevity of texts, the immediacy of emails, the spontaneous messaging have all replaced this art to connect us faster, yet not really connect us. Without the transmission of the energy behind the thought through literal penmanship, I believe we still remain disconnected. 

 There is something magical about the whole experience. Thoughts of self translated through the body into the physical with muscles of arm and hand into words with meaning and then  etched to paper with unique fingerprint penmanship is a process. The transmission of coherent energy that is then reversed when read by the receiver. Eyes see, the mind reads, the spirit acknowledges. With the art of writing a letter there was a delay of delivery, and so anticipation held the conversation in time and space. That romantic notion was dissolved with the near instantaneous delivery of electronic mails. The aggravation took over of " why did he not reply back just as fast !! " At times people do not even bother replying, just because they can do it fast they don't feel the compulsion to do so  . Or perhaps their inbox has just too many emails to reply back to and they are now overwhelmed. Connection without connection.

Children are taught to write letters to Santa. Namely an exhaustive list of things they believe they want, that their parents have to try to scramble and get. It is basically a " Dad This is what I want for christmas List.. now go get it" Yet from a child's perspective writing that letter is a sense of hope that is translated via their handwriting whether in ink or in crayon, yet their energy is put out there in a fearless and innocent manner. Perhaps Santa does read some of these letters. ( He does exist doesn't he? )

I look forward to writing letters the old fashioned way at times. Mostly to mySelf, who is always happy to receive a letter from me. Processing feelings and emotions from the chasms of my spirit are translated into handwriting and come out of ME and onto paper. Out of me is key. Because then they are truly out of me and more manageable. Mind,spirit, consciousness all conspiring together in an effort of moving forward and figuring out the past so it does not effect the future by shining light on it in the present. Some call it journaling. I prefer writing letters to me. It is a cathartic experience. So next time you feel that you can make the time to be present in the moment and wish to write a letter to friend, I would recommend not emailing it, yet instead reach for a piece of stationary, grab your favorite pen, a comfy chair, a firm table and jot down your message. "Dear......, How the heck are you?....."    See where this leads you. You may have to actually call them to find out their mailing address. ( don't email or text them the request, that would defeat the purpose ! ) Yet if that does happen explore the fun in hidden energy transmission in a conversation with sound. Perhaps that "friend" is a letter addressed to You, as you engage yourself in a conversation with yourSelf. 

Hope you have plenty of ink, lots of letters coming your way !!