Par Avion

I forgot the fun of posting mail until I started the Etsy store. I sent a Christmas card out to a friend the other day and realized what a long time it's been since I mailed something to family or friends. With the convenience of smartphones, I can just draw something and send it to them without leaving the comfort of my bed/seat/home/insert-comfy-location.

When I was younger, I used to think there was a very squirrel-y little man who was stationed inside the box. Every time a letter would drop in, with very quick and efficient movements, he'd  sort out the mail and then throw them down a chute that would suck them to some central post office somewhere. When I found out that a mail man actually comes around at a fixed time everyday to pick up the mail and dump it off at the central post office, suddenly postboxes weren't so cool. But I also  always found it a little creepy, like what if there was someone in there, waiting to grab your hand and pull you in. I do realize I won't be able to fit and if anything, I'd probably be able to pull his hand out instead of getting pulled in. This reminds me of the toilet bowl monster I was terrified of when I was younger but that's another story.

The post office runs a special Christmas promotion (which I only found out about this year since I haven't been to the post office in ages) for a period in December, they make the postage for cards a lot cheaper than usual. I suppose it's for them to drum up some business and hopefully encourage more people to send cards.

Starting the Etsy store has gotten me back into the post office more frequently than I ever have in the past 5 years combined. It's also reminded me of how much I used to and still enjoy posting stuff out to people. Especially more so now that I'm sending packages to people from places I'm not familiar with.

It still never fails to amaze me how much the web has made it so easy to connect with others. When you email someone, you know that person is in a different country but other than knowing that fact, there is no indication of it otherwise. You are staring at the same composition page as you always have, typing an email on a blank template that is nothing new to you. But when you receive a package, then the fact that it's from a different country is visually obvious. Their stamps are different, the hand-writing might be different, the type of envelope they use might be new to you, it might smell different, etc.

Technology has really made our lives easier but it's also made me appreciate things like receiving and sending cards/letters more. I don't think there is anything quite like receiving something that is handwritten.