Is anybody surprised to learn that the art of writing love letters is on the wane?I wonder -- all right, I'm downright curious -- just how long-distance romances are managed in the age of Web 2.0. I'm sure some of you out there could tell me a thing or two.
Of course lovers can now stay in real-time touch with their distant soulmate. They can use Skype to chat free -- no more sinking realizations that their long-distance love conversation just cost about $20.00.
But what has really replaced the old-fashioned love letter: the letter written solely for the purpose of expressing romantic feelings, the letter lovers used to carry around in their purse or pockets, the letter that can still spark a wave of passion when found in a box tucked away in the attic?
Do emails really cut it for this purpose?
(Inspired by Valentine's Day, this post was written last Sunday and modified to submit to Sunday Scribblings, which announced the prompt of "Passion" Sunday February 24th. Click here to read more passionate posts.)
17 comments:
Nothing replaces it....Or finding it 15 years letter, with a pressed flower tucked inside. Try that with an IM
Well, long distance relationship... I went through that.
My now husband did not have a computer at home, so it made things quite different. No instant messaging for us.
However we would use emails and send each other little email notes, longer messages, we then started calling each other once or twice a week. But we also would send paper mail. Cards, long letters, packages. For the simple fact that receiving something you can touch, read over and over again and hide under your pillow if you need it gave a much stronger feeling and along with the regular contacts helped maintain the feeling that this was real.
To me a love letter can't be replaced, but in long distance, when you want to maintain a relationship, you complete it with the ways that allow you to have an instant contact. If we had had to wait 2 weeks every time to get an answer I'm not sure our relationship would have been quite the same.
I now and then write love letters to my husband. Just for the sheer pleasure of it. And the look on his face.
spacedlaw -- how sweet! Katie, maybe we're missing out on something...
Apparently SMS is fast replacing emails - how scarey is that?? Letters might be on the way back 'in' - I hope so! Thank you for your visit, love your blogs ;)
I've heard that breaking up is oh-so-easy to do by SMS among the teenage set! I hope that doesn't carry on into adulthood...
My wife and I never write any expressions of love to each other. Frankly, I never really considered it.
Well, I guess there's the brief "I love you" e-mail after we've had a fight, but now that our older daughter seems to be maturing, we don't fight that often any more.
Sounds like a couple of boring old farts, right? Oh well ...
I have a friend who uses her Facebook status update (sorry if you're not familiar with FB - it's basically a one line statement to tell your FB friends what you're doing or feeling) to declare love for her b/f on the other side of the world. Personally I find it a bit nauseating to learn how much she's missing him on a daily basis!
Nothing can replace real letters. The sheer pleasure of receiving it.
whereas i agree technology has made it convinient and i am sure cheaper to communicate solely by email, etc... i have to agree with katiez,, that having the physical letter written in ones lovers hand,, is way better than a print out.....
Renny and I met on the net in 1997 and married in 1999. We sent tons of love letters and poems via email, and it worked just like the good old mail system except we got the mail seconds after it was sent. it was very romantic!
Interesting. More scary than that is considering how much technology is involved when people don't live that far away from each other. Instead of being together, they chat...hmmm.:(
You are correct. Nothing replaces the love letter. Funny, I found some from a former boyfriend tucked away the other day. When you are feeling a bit blue about yourself, it is so nice to look back at those and think, I inspired someone to write this beautiful thing! Definitely, a pick-me-up.
Nothing can replace it, not even printing out an IM or email. Having the written word, in his handwriting, means much more than just the words themselves.
Interesting post! I'm not sure I've had any 'love letters' that stood the test of time...
There's nothing like a handwritten love letter!
Yet, there's nothing quite like a quick email from a parent or family member or friend to brighten the day.
I have an elderly uncle who is an emailer like nobody. He reminisces and fires off his letters to me. I make sure I print them. Not the same as my grandmother's hand-written notes, but I'm glad to have them!
Thanks for stopping by.
I have turned pretty technie and always travel with my computer now - but I tell ya, I still travel with my husband's hand-written love notes in my wallet! thank you for sharing your writing with us here at SS!
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