I had never reflected on how tough that job must be (must have been?), but I do miss letters! I know emails are faster and more ecological, but it was exciting to get something in the mail other than bills! And they make great keepsakes, unlike emails, which I often lose or accidentally delete. I remember we had full lessons in school devoted to properly writing a letter and filling an envelope. And, like you say, I like that knowledge in my brain!
It was exactly exciting to get a letter! The electronic version of it is pure rationalism without the beauty. The best would be if we could use the emails for what needs to be fast, and then paper mails for all that needs to be thorough and good. The bills can be sent along a separate bill-channel, so that they will not disturb the mood when opening good mail.
I think that the job as a postman was faily good (but often not well paid) long ago, but with increasing rationalization it became a race at full speed to deliver everything during a normal day.
When I was a child, there were many postmen who could go home after half a day because they had delivered everything - then maybe the next day there would be more letters, but many of them liked the job and accepted the low pay because of the potential for winning extra freedom on some days. But then routes became longer, postmen became fewer, and then it all became too unbearable for many, so they stopped (if they had not been fired already). Instead, students and other part time and unskilled people were hired, and they were made deliver newspapers and commercials as well, changing it to a very tough job - still at a low rate.
I know, right? Even emails from people I love are not actually as exciting as letters.
I've noticed the same thing happening with deliveries. Employees are asked to go so fast that it becomes almost like that game we used to play as kids where you rang a bell and then ran. I lose about 20% of my packages this way.
I also miss actual letters. I’ve been going through boxes of stuff that includes letters sent to me and letters to my brother decades ago that our mother had kept. It’s an amazing glimpse into our past. It’s true that email is fast.and efficient, but also more impersonal. Thanks for your story, Jorgen!
You are right about all the things about letters beyond the message, though most were hand-written. Remember stamp albums? A few days ago I opened a letter from the bass player in our college band in the early 60s. And a letter from a friend who was in the Peace Corps stationed in Iran, in that era, and tutoring the Shah’s daughter — saying the biggest danger he faced was falling off a bar stool or getting shocked by his electric typewriter. So I’m going through history looking at these letters.
So much value in those old letters! I wonder if any emails will even survive for that long - and given their brief and hasty nature, if they will ever provide a similar value even if they do survive.
You're welcome! And one more thing about letters vs emails: We got a limited number of letters. Even the most popular people would get a few letters per week. But now, even though I am not very popular, I get maybe 500 emails a day. We could spend much more time on a letter, and it would be read with more care, more passion, and often several times.
A postcard would have a front side with something interesting to look at, it was not just the text on the back, and an interesting stamp. And a letter in an envelope could contain something additional, apart from the letter - perhaps some perfume, if the one who sent it liked us ;) Or a brochure, a small toy, a pen... there was value in the envelope, not just a message. And the letter would most often be carefully written over time. Nobody would write dozens of letter each day and send them to hundreds of people.
Well, that was the idealised part of that world, at least. Because, there was also the commercial part of it - the mass mailings with ads in them. Even they could be interesting, though. I remember a letter I got from Steven Spielberg with an invitation to pre-pay a trip to Mars. All fake, of course, but still entertaining :) All the fake stuff by email is now just being sorted away and lost - nobody finds it entertaining.
It got out of fashion to deliver physical mail when emails appeared. In some places, the mail services still work well, but in many other places - not so well. And the funny thing is that prices for sending a letter has surged at the same time as the service got worse.
But who knows what the future will bring. Maybe Kevin Costner showed the way in "The Postman"? - here nicely reviewed by Scott Clevenger: https://substack.com/@clevenger/p-143606683
What a fascinating story. Our lovely postman kept us in touch with people in the pandemic, not only with people who couldn’t manage zoom, but with our small grandchildren who sent Nana and Grandad drawings and paintings. We sent puzzles and toys. He disappeared one day and apart from giving him a Christmas gift, we had no other chance to say thank you. For our post, his company and his smiles.
Thank you. Sorry to hear that your postman disappeared - perhaps he just got a different route? Whatever happened, it is great for me to hear how you appreciated the "real mail" and those who arranged for it, and even enough to give the mailman a christmas gift. I can imagine how happy that made him feel - part of what was making this a great job and a great life for him.
Yesterday I stumbled upon a 40 years old post card that my aunt sent to my brother. Postcards were definitely more compassionate way of communication. This is packed with wisdom and insights. Btw, I like the name of your newsletter. It brings very positive associations:)
Thank you, and yes, paper mail - including postcards - will be missed by many.
There was another aspect, apart from the dense level of thought and information in the writings - they took time. People had some extra time for writing them and waited until they could find a quiet moment, so the postcards where not written in a stressed situation (and even when they were, that situation became part of the message). And people would have to wait for days or weeks before the card arrived at its destination - and even more days or week before a possible reply would be received.
It means that nobody expected an immediate response on anything, like it is common today. Also, people would keep the postcards and read them again later. Who reads an email several times nowadays?
Writing had more value. And your postcard even has a value 40 years later. How much of our electronic writing will even exist in 40 years from now?
This was a very interesting article. I enjoyed it.
I had never reflected on how tough that job must be (must have been?), but I do miss letters! I know emails are faster and more ecological, but it was exciting to get something in the mail other than bills! And they make great keepsakes, unlike emails, which I often lose or accidentally delete. I remember we had full lessons in school devoted to properly writing a letter and filling an envelope. And, like you say, I like that knowledge in my brain!
It was exactly exciting to get a letter! The electronic version of it is pure rationalism without the beauty. The best would be if we could use the emails for what needs to be fast, and then paper mails for all that needs to be thorough and good. The bills can be sent along a separate bill-channel, so that they will not disturb the mood when opening good mail.
I think that the job as a postman was faily good (but often not well paid) long ago, but with increasing rationalization it became a race at full speed to deliver everything during a normal day.
When I was a child, there were many postmen who could go home after half a day because they had delivered everything - then maybe the next day there would be more letters, but many of them liked the job and accepted the low pay because of the potential for winning extra freedom on some days. But then routes became longer, postmen became fewer, and then it all became too unbearable for many, so they stopped (if they had not been fired already). Instead, students and other part time and unskilled people were hired, and they were made deliver newspapers and commercials as well, changing it to a very tough job - still at a low rate.
I know, right? Even emails from people I love are not actually as exciting as letters.
I've noticed the same thing happening with deliveries. Employees are asked to go so fast that it becomes almost like that game we used to play as kids where you rang a bell and then ran. I lose about 20% of my packages this way.
I also miss actual letters. I’ve been going through boxes of stuff that includes letters sent to me and letters to my brother decades ago that our mother had kept. It’s an amazing glimpse into our past. It’s true that email is fast.and efficient, but also more impersonal. Thanks for your story, Jorgen!
You are right about all the things about letters beyond the message, though most were hand-written. Remember stamp albums? A few days ago I opened a letter from the bass player in our college band in the early 60s. And a letter from a friend who was in the Peace Corps stationed in Iran, in that era, and tutoring the Shah’s daughter — saying the biggest danger he faced was falling off a bar stool or getting shocked by his electric typewriter. So I’m going through history looking at these letters.
So much value in those old letters! I wonder if any emails will even survive for that long - and given their brief and hasty nature, if they will ever provide a similar value even if they do survive.
You're welcome! And one more thing about letters vs emails: We got a limited number of letters. Even the most popular people would get a few letters per week. But now, even though I am not very popular, I get maybe 500 emails a day. We could spend much more time on a letter, and it would be read with more care, more passion, and often several times.
A postcard would have a front side with something interesting to look at, it was not just the text on the back, and an interesting stamp. And a letter in an envelope could contain something additional, apart from the letter - perhaps some perfume, if the one who sent it liked us ;) Or a brochure, a small toy, a pen... there was value in the envelope, not just a message. And the letter would most often be carefully written over time. Nobody would write dozens of letter each day and send them to hundreds of people.
Well, that was the idealised part of that world, at least. Because, there was also the commercial part of it - the mass mailings with ads in them. Even they could be interesting, though. I remember a letter I got from Steven Spielberg with an invitation to pre-pay a trip to Mars. All fake, of course, but still entertaining :) All the fake stuff by email is now just being sorted away and lost - nobody finds it entertaining.
Interesting to know that it's not just my home country where the service and working conditions of the Post are horrendous...
It got out of fashion to deliver physical mail when emails appeared. In some places, the mail services still work well, but in many other places - not so well. And the funny thing is that prices for sending a letter has surged at the same time as the service got worse.
But who knows what the future will bring. Maybe Kevin Costner showed the way in "The Postman"? - here nicely reviewed by Scott Clevenger: https://substack.com/@clevenger/p-143606683
What a fascinating story. Our lovely postman kept us in touch with people in the pandemic, not only with people who couldn’t manage zoom, but with our small grandchildren who sent Nana and Grandad drawings and paintings. We sent puzzles and toys. He disappeared one day and apart from giving him a Christmas gift, we had no other chance to say thank you. For our post, his company and his smiles.
Thank you. Sorry to hear that your postman disappeared - perhaps he just got a different route? Whatever happened, it is great for me to hear how you appreciated the "real mail" and those who arranged for it, and even enough to give the mailman a christmas gift. I can imagine how happy that made him feel - part of what was making this a great job and a great life for him.
Yesterday I stumbled upon a 40 years old post card that my aunt sent to my brother. Postcards were definitely more compassionate way of communication. This is packed with wisdom and insights. Btw, I like the name of your newsletter. It brings very positive associations:)
Thank you, and yes, paper mail - including postcards - will be missed by many.
There was another aspect, apart from the dense level of thought and information in the writings - they took time. People had some extra time for writing them and waited until they could find a quiet moment, so the postcards where not written in a stressed situation (and even when they were, that situation became part of the message). And people would have to wait for days or weeks before the card arrived at its destination - and even more days or week before a possible reply would be received.
It means that nobody expected an immediate response on anything, like it is common today. Also, people would keep the postcards and read them again later. Who reads an email several times nowadays?
Writing had more value. And your postcard even has a value 40 years later. How much of our electronic writing will even exist in 40 years from now?
It seems like postcards were more human and compassionate. It’s like you got flowers. Now days I only get bills and books from Amazon:)
We want the old mail days back!
We can always do it. However, we often take path of least resistance:)