Monday, April 1, 2013

A letter a day, the sincerity of children and just do it

- An Atlanta based writer named Randy Osborne began a project in January called "A Letter a Day in 2013" - in which he will write a letter to anyone who asks.  I was delighted to receive my letter a few weeks ago.  How nice to see a personally addressed envelope in the mail amid the bills and catalogs.  There's an article you can read about his project by clicking here.  If you scroll to the bottom of the article, there are details in how to contact Randy to ask for a letter.  He might just bring back the art of letter writing.  I hope so.

- Spotted on facebook yesterday, a group of children from the third and fourth grade in Omaha, Nebraska, asked Randy great questions via their own letter.  When asked on facebook if he had answered, he says he has, "A sincere question, more difficult than it looks.  People think they know the "why" of a thing, but it's the children who bother to verify, who seem to want to know what's really going on, rather than what they have already decided is."

- I was looking around for stationery, so I could write back, but it's proving difficult to find.  And then I realized it doesn't really matter if the paper is nice, it's the doing it that matters.  I will send a letter to him this week.

13 comments:

TALON said...

That's neat, Lynn. You can always find nice stationary at Indigo. But you're right. It's not the quality of paper, it's the words you write on the paper that count. :)

happygirl said...

I love a hand written letter, but I don't like my handwriting. Today I wrote about positive email. It's not the same as a hand written letter, but it can still be uplifting. I love the questions the kids ask. Are you famous? I guess if you have to ask...

Elephant's Child said...

What a charming, life-affirming idea. I love the idea of someone reaching out to make REAL connections (which a hand-written letter epitomises for me).

G. B. Miller said...

Letter writing is indeed a very lost art.

I enjoy writing letters, if only for the fact that I can express my thoughts more clearly via the visual than I ever could for the verbal.

Riot Kitty said...

Wow, how many letters did he write?

Lynn said...

Talon -

I don't know Indigo - I don't think we have them down here. I did find some writing paper in (of all things) a gardening shop, so I'll use that.

happygirl -

I think that's awesome that you wrote your son an email that had a positive impact.

Elephant's Child -

I think it is charming, too. His letter to me was thoughtful and well written.

G -

It is a lost art. I'm more prone to sending emails and cards by mail.

Riot Kitty -

He started at the first of January, so more than three months worth at this point. He has more than 300 requests so far, but it's growing. And he intends to keep writing until all the requests are filled.

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Lynn .. that's a great project Randy has started .. and will lead to many things.

Great that you told us about it - and hopefully you'll remind us once the A-Z is over ...

I wrote so many handwritten notes and letters when my mother was ill, sometimes accompanied by a typed extra which gave more generic detail - I couldn't have done as many as I did without that extra 'help' via the machine.

It'll be fun to read more .. cheers for now - Hilary

Shionge said...

Ah...letters :) Before all the technologies I wrote alot alot of letters to my penpals all over the world. Even in Singapore, I wrote letters and sent cards to my friends here too....and I really misses all that in my letter box now.


All I received are bills hahahha... :D


Ileana said...

Very cool project and I love the gift of a letter. Years ago I had a pen pal and we've remained pals (now on Facebook).

Lynn said...

Hilary -

A handwritten note is always so nice, but I can see supplementing it with typed if you have a lot to send.

Cheers to you!

Shionge -

I used to do something called Postcrossing, in which you exchange postcards with people all over the world. I quite enjoyed it, but have migrated away from it.

Ily -

That's so nice you are still friends.

Sara said...

I love the question: "Does your hand get tired?" That's what happens to me when I try to write letters. It's amazing to think I used to write letters. I didn't a word program when I was young. We had a typewriter, but at that time I didn't know how to use it and so, I wrote. Maybe that's why, I no longer write letters:~)

This was a great post. I admire Randy Osborne and like the children, I, too, wonder if his hand hurts:~)

Anonymous said...

sometimes, i will take my time and write a letter in the most perfect handwriting that i can

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=582720965073078&set=a.223317921013386.67258.100000055391837&type=1&theater

Granny Annie said...

This is very appealing to me. I used to love sending and receiving letters. Perhaps I shall join the fun.