Old Fashioned Mail

One of the things that I'm glad I saved from my early twenties are personal letters from friends. I was waaay up in Duluth and most of my highschool friends were in the cities. These were the days when there was no internet,email,texting,facebooking! We would have been too broke for any of this! Long distance phone calling was expensive. I was lucky to be able to call home once a week. The only feature we had on our campus phone was one ring for someone calling from on campus or the coveted double ring for someone calling from off campus. You know what though,in hindsight, I liked it that way! There was no over-saturation of communication between people like there is now...the term helicopter parents comes to mind. I didn't need or want my parents' advice. I know this statement may sound rude, because I value my parents' opinions and guidance, but there is definately something to be said for living your own life, especially when you're transitioning by moving out.
So, back to the letters, this past weekend, I found a shoebox of letters that I have saved. They are like reading a diary or opening up a time capsule for me. Several letters are from ex-boyfriends of my old girl friends. It seems they would keep in touch with me, to keep in touch with them. Or, had a little crushing on me, I can't be sure. Yes, we were all interested in guys, but were honestly really focused on getting thru school and then on to our lives. I'm glad that I have these letters because a few years ago, I threw away a journal that I had kept during college. Bad idea. I tossed it because some of the things I would write about seemed so insignificant. Things like what so and so said to me or what party we went to. My tone throughout the journal sounded, should we say, a little self-absorbed. I think what was going on in my head of why to throw it, was I didn't want anyone to go thru it after I was gone. At the time, coming out of a few medical crisis', I was kind of frantic trying to organize photos. and albums and old books for my kids, in case I should  leave them early. So, I thought this particular journal had to go. That's why i'm glad I have these letters. I found one that I had written out and addressed and stamped, but never mailed. This friend goes all the way back to third grade with me and she works where I volunteer, so I plan on finding her and hand delivering it to her. I'm also going to bring a letter that she had written to me, just for laughs. Who says, you can't go back? The older we get, the more fun it is.