Thank you so much to Coffee Time Romance for hosting me today. With all of the holiday cards and letters that are exchanged this month, I thought it would be a great time to chat about real mail vs. email.
Whether you call it snail mail or real mail, it’s that cool stuff that sometimes still arrives in that box outside your front door or end of your driveway. The stuff that isn’t bills. This time of year, it’s often Christmas, Hanukkah, and Happy New Year’s cards. Or maybe even a Christmas newsletter with annual updates from a friend or family member.
Email is great. I’m very glad to be a writer in the era of computers and email, too. No correction ribbon or carbon paper needed. Most editors want emailed manuscripts, which is not only convenient, but saves money and time, too.
However, emailed Christmas cards and invitations just aren’t the same as ones with real signatures and a stamp. Isn’t it so much cooler to open a card and find a personal note and a pretty picture? Ask any kid who lives at college, I’ll bet they’ll tell you they treasure letters and cards.
There’s something special about a slip of paper you can hold in your hand, instead of words on a computer. The hero in my upcoming release LOVE DELIVERED is a small-town mailman who loves his job, his customers, and the small town where he lives. What do you think? Do you still like getting cards, invitations, and letters in the mail? Do you have any favorite mailman stories to share? I’d love to hear them. Thanks for stopping by today and I hope your mailbox is full of fun greetings this week.
One randomly-drawn commenter will win an e-copy of LOVE DELIVERED, so please be sure to leave your email address in your comment. 🙂
0 COMMENTS
Nancy Weeks
13 years agoGood morning Joya,
Great idea for a post. I so agree with you about the joy of receiving personal mail. I know it’s a lot cheaper, better for the environment to email Christmas cards, party invitations, personal notes, but it’s just not the same. Email is a technical marvel that has made all our lives so much easier, but the price of the convenience may be too high. I believe we have lost a huge chunk of family history. When my brothers and sisters began corresponding with email years ago, I tried to print copies of everything. That grand idea lasted about a minute. Now, all my families’ news; the joys, the sorrows, are buried in thousands of emails. I know the world is changing. I haven't read a real book since I received my Kindle for my birthday last May. I send well wishes for birthdays over Facebook instead of mailing a card. I think we need to find a happy medium somehow. Maybe the revivial of the personal note will end up on my 2012 resolution list. Maybe someone send me one in return and it will be delivered by someone as cute as Pete. I can dream. I can't wait to read Love Delivered.
Nancy Weeks
Beth
13 years agoCan't wait to read your story, Joya! Your mail carrier hero sounds so hot, and I love a good summer romance!
Beth
JoyaFields
13 years ago AUTHORNancy, Thanks so much for stopping by today. I know what you mean about printing copies of correspondence. Too much work and too easy to lose. I love your idea of a happy medium and reviving the personal note. LOL about someone as cute as Pete delivering the return note. Fingers crossed for you.
Thanks for your comment and for reading LOVE DELIVERED. 🙂
JoyaFields
13 years ago AUTHORHi Beth! Thanks for taking time to stop by today. I love summer romances, too. Any time of year. I hope you enjoy the story once you get a copy and here's hoping you get a hot mail carrier at your doorstep in the near future. 🙂
Stephanie Dray
13 years agoThe other day I was talking about letters sent between Thomas Jefferson and his daughter and I said, "So Patsy sent her father an email…"
I didn't realize what I'd said until the laughing began 😉
JoyaFields
13 years ago AUTHORLOL, Stephanie!! That's an easy mistake because we're all so used to emails. Great that you gave your friends a good laugh about it. Thomas Jefferson and emails? Hmm. Or Thomas Jefferson on Facebook. Interesting to think about.
Thanks for stopping by to comment! 🙂
Christi Barth
13 years agoI am a card-a-holic. I make a point of getting out anniv, b-day, xmas cards, you name it. I can't hang xmas emails on my walls, now can I?
Katherine
13 years agoHi Joya, I love getting snail/regular mail, well except for bills of course. Every day when I get home from work, the first thing I do is go through the mail that came that day. I still send cards through the regular mail to family and close friends but I also couldn't live out email and send ecards and facebook greetings to people I haven't physically met but still consider friends.
I have to comment on your sentence regarding using carbon paper and correction tape. After reading that sentence, I muttered aloud how much I hated carbon paper and definitely didn't miss it. My 10 year old nephew who's staying with me for awhile happened to be walking by at the same time. He stopped and asked what carbon paper was. I explained you put it between two pieces of paper and used it with a typewriter when you needed a copy of what you were typing. He shook his head solemnly as though he understood my explanation and then asked, "What's a typewriter?"
JoyaFields
13 years ago AUTHORChristi,
Hahaha about not being able to hang Christmas emails on your wall! I agree about the card-a-holic thing. I treasure those cards, too. Keep 'em in a box of treasured memories. Here's hoping you get some great cards this week. Thanks for stopping by. 🙂
JoyaFields
13 years ago AUTHORKatherine,
Oh my gosh, thanks for the laugh of the day. That is so funny about your nephew. I can understand not knowing what carbon paper is, but a typewriter? Oh wow. I feel old. Thanks for your comment (and laugh). I agree about going through the mail as soon as you get home–nothing like that. Not even going through email. Hope you have great things in your mailbox this week and thanks for stopping by. 🙂
Ann A
13 years agoWow, that really makes me think. I realized in the last few years that I hadn't received many Christmas cards. Guess it's probably due to my lack of sending out my own! I'll have to get moving on revitalizing my outgoing mail. Can't wait to read your book!
JoyaFields
13 years ago AUTHORHi Ann! Thanks so much for your comment. You're right–sending out Christmas cards usually guilts people into sending one back, LOL. Maybe you could fine-tune your writing skills with one of those fun Christmas newsletters that tells everyone about your life the past year. Some people dread those. I happen to LOVE those letters. Thanks for stopping by tonight! 🙂
Marika Weber
13 years agoI love both email and mail but there is still nothing like receiving a letter or card in the mail. To me, its more personal. Someone took the time to pick out the card, write in the card, and mail the card to you. Our six year old son gets magazines in the mail (Highlights, Ranger Rick, etc) and he can't wait for me to check the mail so he can see if he got anything in the mail. 🙂
Marika Weber
maw1725@gmail.com
Laura
13 years agoHi, Joya,
Fun post 😀 I agree – I really like email, etc., but none of those is as great as receiving a real mail card or letter. Ahhhhh.
Drat. I don't have a funny mailman story – can't believe it! but – I used to have a mailman who wore his uniform shorts proudly – and had the legs for 'em, too!
Take care ~ Laura DT
Cheoy Lee
13 years agoYour post has inspired me to break out the ol' pen and paper and write a letter!