When I look back, I chuckle a bit knowing that this project of mine is based on something I used to hate doing. Once upon a time I was a young girl that wanted nothing more than to receive birthday and Christmas gifts that were something other than stationary. I used to think it was some sort of sick joke - giving me paper and pens and thank you cards - sort of like a not-so-subtle nudge that I was supposed to turn around and use those gifts to write and give my effusive thanks and boundless gratitude for a present I really didn't want or understand why I was given.
From an extremely early age my mother instilled in me the importance of writing. Not just writing thank you cards, that was always a given, but writing actual letters to others. I've seen her do this frequently, in fact this habit is one of the earliest memories I have of her, and she continues it today, most recently writing to every single person that came to her father's funeral only two months ago.
Until recently my desire for sitting down and actually writing to people had nearly evaporated. I remember vividly in high school having various notebooks that were passed around among my best girl friends with various bits of gossip scribbled in between the pages. At one point I recall some really horrible poetry, as well as an homage to our hated band teacher set to the tune of "Speed Racer," ahhh, the memories. Despite my foray into the world of creative writing, and I use that word extremely loosely, the advent of things like Instant Messenger and email (EMAIL! INSTANT! FREE!) virtually extinguished my need for letter writing. I find it bizarre that I can remember my first IM screenname (Rosie222) and email address (the same at good 'ol hotmail.com) as well as the first computer I did both of these things on (Dell P60, oh baby), but I can't remember the last actual letter I wrote, which horrifyingly, wasn't that long ago, but I have a suspicion was so short and pointless it probably wasn't worth writing to begin with.
Which is what leads me to my current adventure. Having acquired a new obsession with stationary (and yes, people really do come full circle) I want to find a way to start using some of the stuff I have acquired, AND to use up some of what I've had for years. Literally...decades. The purpose of my project is pretty simple, write 365 letters in the space of a year. I don't have to do one a day, though I suppose that would make sense, but then again, life happens and there are days I forget to do things that I've been doing everyday for years (hello brush my teeth) so I figure, as long as I am getting them written and I'm relatively close to my goal I will be a happy camper.
I'm not sure where all of these letters will go, I suppose I'll start with the obvious and branch out. I do know one thing though, each will be hand written and each will be chronicled. Which for me, will result in an interesting library of people I've written to and things I've written about, as well as a memorial (I mean they eventually WILL be thrown away) of some of the coolest stationary EVER, some of which I love so much I don't want to write on. But I will, after all it is for a good cause.
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