The Wonderful World of Mail :) (Class Connection Blog Post)

        Last week in AP Language class, when we were talking about how to categorize essays into a grading system, I started thinking about mail. Since we were reading many different essays all about the postal service, I couldn't really help it! I started to think about the importance of mail, and how it has slowly been disappearing from my own life.
        I've always felt a strong connection to mail. I used to love walking down to the mail box and finding letters from my relatives for birthdays and holidays and other things. Okay, I still do! But the difference between now and when I was little is that I used to be able to find a lot of letters for me every once and a while. These days, I'm lucky if I find even a bank statement every other month! I can't help but feel nostalgic. I remember going to summer camp for about four or five years in a row up near Spring Lake. It was a horse camp, and I was always ecstatic whenever I got a letter from home or from one of my sisters who live in different states. Then, after the first few years, the letters turned into printed off emails, and these felt somehow less exciting than the hand written ones, where I would occasionally even get a package. It felt like the people writing were taking less time and just marking something off of their to-do list instead of writing a very personal letter.
        The world is accepting email and online messages so quickly that the post offices don't know what to think. Of course, people do still get mail, but it tends to just be junk mail and bills. Personally, I really do miss all of the hand-written letters people used to send me and my family. It was fun to pass letters back and forth and await the next one that would come in a few days. The internet truly does make it much easier to get things done and to get ahold of people, but I can't deny the fact the I love getting mail. I honestly do not know what I would do if I had to completely rely on the postal service because I use email and the internet all the time, including right now as I am writing this blog post. Still, I really miss being able to find lot's of letters in the mail box. Mail is just so nice to have! I still get a few birthday and holiday cards, but it isn't really the same. I realize that this world is changing and it is necessary to send things and get responses quickly, but I still wish people used the mail system at least occasionally.
        No matter what happens, I hope that the idea of mail doesn't die out completely. I would miss finding post cards and other letters in the mail, as well as creative packages that make my day. Although I find it essential to use the internet and telephone for most of my communication, I really do hope that this fun tradition does not fade away.