cause i'm writing to reach you now but i might never reach you

One of the significant highlights early this year for me is finding my childhood collection of cutesy stationery. Makes me wonder, does anyone miss the romanticism of postal letters? I also wonder if many postmen had lost their jobs since keeping in touch became so easy.

When I was little, I used to write letters to my cousin--who is practically a stranger these days. Sometime after I graduated from junior high school, I kept in touch with one of my classmates through written letters, sealed, stamped, and delivered by mr. postman himself. And sometime during my college years, I stayed in touch with one of my best friends from junior high through letters that were distributed by her boyfriend--who coincidentally went to the same faculty as me. And who can forget all those greeting cards for Eid Mubarak day.

Don't you miss the personal touch of when you write your own notes beneath the default printed words on those cards? Don't you miss the excitement of seeing the postman handed you envelopes with your name written on them?

I understand that we have to move on with the time. Besides why would anyone waste money on stamps, and wait for 2-3 days for their messages to be delivered? We have emails now. You go online, type, and click send. Voila.

But ask yourself this, do you still write emails? Doubt it. Why write long emails describing about what you've been up to, how you're doing, how's that new job working out for you, etc, when you tweet about it every minute. You eat, tweet about it. You get a raise, tweet about it. You get into a quarrel... Tweet. About. It.

I bet many people don't even text anymore. Why waste Rp 350 out of your phone credit, when you can share mushy, sickening, or even gory details with all of your followers?

And when Eid Mubarak comes, or even your birthday, you can always post one of those tacky pictures of mosque or birthday cake on all/any of your Facebook friends' walls.

Don't get me wrong, I don't blame anyone for choosing the easy way out. Just don't lose the warmth of a personal touch, of your signature, of inside jokes... The romanticism.

Me? The last time I wrote a letter was sometime last year, or two years ago to my boyfriend. Yes, I occassionally (rarely, more like it) write my boyfriend letters which I slipped in the book I gave him for birthday, or his hand (and begged him not to read it until he got home). I know right, I'm cheesy like that. And the last time I felt the excitement of receiving something from the postal service was when Ayu sent me a postcard from Thailand about a month ago. So yeah, I'm also writing this post for myself, to remind myself not to turn into an internet bot.

So there you go. A piece of my mind. Anyone interested in writing a letter on a piece of paper that later you will neatly fold, and put in an envelope? Well you can write to me. My address? I'll DM you, or better yet, post it on your wall ;)

It's good to know that you are home for Christmas
It's good to know that you are doing well
It's good to know that you all know I'm hurting
It's good to know I'm feeling not so well
[Travis]