Monday, December 5, 2011

This message brought to you by the world wide web...

We all know that the internet has taken over. It's become the number one way we communicate and is causing us to communicate in ways we never would have dreamt of a mere 5 years ago. In so many ways these changes are amazing and exciting. I, being someone who loves the idea of a time without cellphones, internet, television, etc. am for the most part scared by the promise that this is taking over our lives. The funny thing is, this message is being written and read on a computer, and I pay my bills by performing on television. So modern technology undoubtedly has it's perks.

I could write a hundred thousand word essay on the antithesis of that, and why it drives me crazy. Some ideas are; what it exposes our children to, us becoming an increasingly less social society while we becoming more social through a screen, less outdoor play, the need for instant gratification, the downfall of the english language and on and on and on I could (but won't) go.

This leads me to the reason for writing this scattered note. The US Postal service is going down down down baby down. It scares me because I love getting mail. I hate getting bills, but I love getting mail. It's one of the things thing that I believe simply cannot ever be replaced by the internet. E-cards just don't have the same feeling. You can't touch them, hold them, keep them forever... knowing that someone put the time and love into buying (or making), hand writing and mailing something for you. It didn't take a few minutes through a company that fills in the spaces for you and one click and it's off. It's the unexpected nice surprise that is mixed into your expected bills and junk mail. The birthday or Christmas card you didn't expect. It's the check from your grandma, the magazine you subscribe to, fan mail you sent, letter from your loved one in Iraq, the school photo of your niece, the confetti in the holiday card, the postcard from the Philippines, the smudge marks on the paper, the scent of your loved one, the S.W.A.K (sealed with a kiss) from your best friend.

When I read this article today it made me want to come on here and beg you all to try to send holiday cards this year. Even go buy an old typewriter, some cool paper and have fun with sending vintage-looking notes. Maybe keep an address book with the people you loves' mailing information in it and once in a blue moon, send them a card. Help the post office stay alive for as long as we can. It's up to us to continue on supporting something that our families before us relied on so much, before a time of status updates.

Who knows, you might miss it when it's finally gone.

And I would've mailed this if I knew each and every one of you addresses.


http://news.yahoo.com/postal-cuts-slow-delivery-first-class-mail-141723847.html


Keep warm in your homes and hearts,
*Chels

11 comments:

Tonje Walnött said...

It's sad how the community have turned from quality to quantity. Paper letters are true quality from someone you love or to someone you admire. Today we send e-mail based Christmas cards, to everyone whom we care and do not care that much about. It's all about sending something, right? .. I don't think so, and I really agree with you :)

Unknown said...

I absolutely agree with you, Chelsea! Through the years communication facilities improving. People can't imagine their life now without TV or Internet! many people even can't understand how people could live before without all this things ... of course its more comfortable may be to send e-mails rather then to send paper letters! and we even can't imagine now what we should expect for in future! how much all this will change?
Anyway all what u wrote is the real truth) e-mail is a good thing... but if u send the letter or a card its more real for whom u write to feel how much u love them!
personally every year on Christmas, New Year or someone's dearest to me birthday, I Buy post card and write a wish! or just a few worm words! it makes my friends feel my love... and its also makes me happy... knowing that someone got my live;)

Randy Hall said...

It is amazing how technology has started to take over our lives. I too would like to go back to a time with no facebook, no text messages, where you had to be at home in order to get a phone call from your best friend, and if you were outside playing somewhere, well then you could call them back when you got in. The times where you had to smash the stretched phone cord in your bedroom door to have any privacy with your conversation. People were so much more reliable back then, which is odd because we couldn't always get in touch with them at a push of a button like we can now. Even the Zach Morris phone was better than the phones now, in terms of everyday life. It was used for one thing... calling. If someone said they were going to be somewhere, they were there. They couldn't send a text to cancel on you last minute.
With that said, I totally agree that we need to keep our mail system running. Its one of the few things that we still have. There is nothing like going out to the mailbox and finding that someone personally sent you some love, especially on a day when you were really needing it. Wedding invitations, 10 bucks from Grandpa, Graduation pictures, pages torn from a coloring book that your nephew colored especially for you and wanted to send it... All of these things are the things that really matter in life. Not what so and so's status is at any given moment. I send out family Christmas cards each and every year. And I hope that never changes. I know it won't change because I'm not doing my part. Sorry for the rambling comment, but you touched on something that I am passionate about also.

barmybex said...

Such a good post, I try to write proper cards every year and I love to write letters and of course receive them too.
The idea of the internet taking over scares me to, one day we could all end up with data cards in our heads, plugged into some socket. Living in a virtual reality- it's truly scary.
Nice to have you back on your blog though.
Can't wait for the new series of MIOBI

Crossroad Reviews said...

Ok im prob gonna get yelled at for this but Is this the real chelsea hobbs or just someone who loves her so much they decided to create a blog about her.

Unknown said...

ohohoh! yes she is the real Chelsea Hobbs!!! and no fake can say and write such a witty things!)

Hayley Cafarella said...

I found this fascinating because I live in Australia and the Australian Post is regularly on the news due to increased need for their services to cope with all the packages people are having delivered for online purchases. There might be fewer letters these days, but there seems to be more post than ever here. Weird.

Megan said...

I love writing letters. I have a few friend who I regularly send good old fashioned letters to. And I was just thinking about what would happen if they stopped the USPS. Would I have to pay $5 to send it via Fedex? That's just not probable. But you can bet I will be mailing out our holiday cards this year!

Brianna said...

I agree 100%! Thanks for this post! I need to work on being better about sending real letters cause who doesn't love getting them!?

ms.composure said...

loving this post! i was just talking about this with a friend last night over dinner, yes i agree something needs to be done and fast if not it may just be gone!!

http://infinitelifefitness.com
http://mscomposure.blogspot.com

Leauriy said...

Love sending stuff via USPS. I have been known to send cheap plastic lawn eggs to nieces/nephews (filled with goodies), or the clear plastic take out containers filled with valentine goodness or a pail and shovel filled with fun stuff (taped up real good) for my bro on his b-day ("dig up some fun") as well as handstamped cards in clear envelopes or with some type of art on the envelopes. All this to put a smile on the faces of the Postal workers and to delight my family and friends. Getting mail is Awesome!, but getting a wooden spoon or shoe with the messages "Stir up some FUN!" or "Kick up your heels, this year" and the proper postage is just too much FUN. I try to do my part and in fact am just finishing up our New Year's cards (never get around to doing Christmas cards).
Thanks for the post/blog on this.