The Importance of Mail
It is with utter horror and a smattering of disbelief that people all around the world have to watch as the United States Postal Service fights for its own existence — even before the COVID-19 pandemic took over the world. How is this possible for such a vital institution?
Funny to think that, back when Seinfeld was on the air just two decades ago, Newman, a mailman and Jerry’s antagonist, once claimed that “the mail never stops. It just keeps coming and coming and coming.” Soon that might not be the case. First class mail in the U.S. has been steadily declining with the increased use of email and other digital messaging platforms, as well as the rise of private courier services (i.e. UPS and FedEx).
There are many, many issues with the USPS that one can debate and that I unfortunately don’t have enough knowledge to speak on. What I do have, however, is a belief in the importance of mail for our society. I would make the case that the simple act of posting and receiving a letter is, in a small way, essential for our humanity and emotional well-being. Read on below for all the reasons why mailing letters is so important.
That Feeling of Excitement
Remember in “the olden days”, which isn’t that long ago, how excited you would be when there was a letter waiting for you in the mail? I still get excited! Most people have that feeling now when they’ve ordered something silly on Amazon (or at least the countless memes of dogs looking wistfully out of window seem to suggest this). In a world with fewer and fewer simple joys, the arrival of a letter in your mailbox is golden. And it’s even better when it’s an unexpected but pleasant surprise.
A Sense of Belonging
I have written before about the importance of pen pals and written correspondence and their role in curing global loneliness. To reiterate: Letters and cards that are sent through the mail are a surefire way of telling someone “Hey, I’ve been thinking of you.” It’s more than just a quick check-in text. A letter shows that you really took the time to consider the person and created something special just for them. Connect with your grandparents, university friends or your old neighbours. In my experience, everyone loves getting a letter in their mailbox and it establishes a feeling of belonging. Knowing that someone out there cares about you and that you care for them is a warm, fuzzy feeling that you can’t get from an Amazon shipment or a WhatsApp text.
Documenting our Humanity
Writings and drawings have documented the history of humanity for ages. The written word — written on a piece of paper — is incredibly personal and intimate. We get a glimpse into a person’s psyche through their penmanship. How they curve the letters, how far they slant them. Whether writing on a piece of paper was intentional or spontaneous, the resulting product reveals the human behind it. Your choice of writing utensil, surface and the actual words you use speaks volumes about who you are.
In contrast, the act of broadcasting your every move and meal on Twitter is more of an indication of who you want to be or who you present to be. But as projects like Found Magazine confirm, things that have been written on an old post-it or on a diner napkin or on a Wrigley’s gum wrapper show the real human. Their hidden depths, their fears and hopes and the uncurated, unpolished personality traits, unique traits that are usually quashed in order to conform with the digital norm.
In a way, then, the act of writing real letters or postcards and sending it via the mail is a contribution to our history. It’s tangible. It has weight. It’s not fleeting and superficial like a digital communication.
Wonder & Amazement
Did you know you can send a banana through the mail? Or crates of baby chicks? Of course some of the things you can send through the mail are absolutely ridiculous and most likely only allowed to instil a sense of spectacle around the whole institution. However, in some bizarre way this is a testament to the USPS’s gameness, their dedication and their willingness to go the extra mile (often literally) to deliver something (besides the fact that they are legally obliged to do so).
A Kind of Fail Safe
Let’s end on a bit of an apocalyptic note. Imagine a digital collapse — from one day to the next, everything disappears. Maybe this could never happen, but just imagine it for a second. If that’s too drastic, just think of those moments where you actually didn’t have wifi or there was some kind of malfunction when you wanted to digitally submit your term paper. Or your signed lease. Or an important email bounced back. These moments might be rare nowadays, but it is comforting to know that there is a failsafe, a backup generator of communication called the mail.
So, my simple plea: Wherever you live. Buy stamps, write letters and send them.
