One decade forward, a couple score back.

Denver Miller and I have decided to be Pen pals, something that is almost unheard of in this age of technology. There are a lot of things to say about communicating through the postal service. It's a practice that is long gone, apart from the fun of it all, there's good reason this wave has crashed. Technology makes way for an easier and cheaper method of long distance communication....

...ON THE OTHER HAND...

There are pro's to this art.

1. You usually get more respect. (I don't have one friend that in my e-mails, facebook comments/messages, or texts refers to me as MR. Mat Pirolo, snail mail on the other hand demands respect)

2. Stamps can be collected. Philately (the study of stamps) and stamp collecting can be a hobby of many. Denver included a stamp of seabiscutt on the letter received by me.

3. H. A. Ironside collected stamps and at times would trade some of his publications for stamps from foreign missionaries.

4. Writing letters leaves a mystery in the conversation with your pen pal when communicating in other ways than through the USPS.
i.e. Denver and I talk on phone on an average of four nights a week. This means a lot of conversation, however, we can not discuss what has been written in the letters, because that would be a waste of 44 cents.
knowing that not everything is being made known there is a sense of mystery and excitement in letter writing.

5. You can include snippets of the news paper or articles from magazines. everything becomes more real in letter writing.

6. Writing letters is really the only appropriate way to share poetry. Some of you might be thinking this practice is feminine and ridiculous, but I assure you that could not be farther from the truth.

So for the first blog in 5 months I hope you enjoyed this and furthermore I hope you consider choosing a pen pal of your own .