When is the last time you wrote and mailed a letter? Wrote by hand, that is. Pen or pencil or even typewriter. Mailed via the Post Office. Envelope, address on front, stamp. Do any of these words mean anything to you?

When is the last time you received a letter in the mail? Not a signed birthday card taped to a present. I mean a hand-written missive signed, sealed and delivered to your house by a mailman (of either gender).

When computers were beckoning us into a paperless future, we fell for the lie hook, line and sinker. Sure, email is fast and efficient. Instant messaging is convenient. Chat rooms, blog sites, comments sections, virtual bulletin boards, online shopping and banking and bill-paying - not a confetti-shed of paper is used. Even my 93 year old aunt uses email.

But we probably use more paper now than ever, especially in postal mail. And it’s the bad stuff. Glossy, heavy paper with full color printing. Pulp newsprint. Envelopes with plastic windows and aggressive adhesive seals. Environmental poison.

Let’s see, what did I get last week? Food store fliers, department store fliers, real estate fliers, home painting fliers, yard services fliers, private hauling services fliers, political fliers, magazine subscription fliers, local fast food delivery fliers, charity solicitations, bank statements, and bills.

In fact, the last written letter I can recall receiving was one of those mass mailings cousin Jenny sends out every Christmas. It was photocopied. At least she hand wrote my address on the envelope.

I used to get a letter from a relative or an old school friend, feel it in my hands, and see my friend’s mood in her handwriting. I’d mull over the letter, maybe relating it to others over the next couple of days until I felt I had a suitable response.

Then I’d write my response letter, address and stamp it (lick lick, not these new self-sticking jobs), and walk to a mailbox to mail it. She would get my letter a few days later and start the cycle again. With enough such pen-pals, you could have a couple of letters to write each day.

Now I run into someone and they gripe that I didn’t answer their last email that they sent ten minutes ago! Computers have facilitated a massive personal disconnect by luring us away from hand-written, tactile, personal communication. I constantly see groups of high school kids sitting with each other in sedentary silence texting someone else. Or maybe each other? Have we stopped talking to each other, as well? Is eye contact passe?

Hit the off button, people! Stop and smell the ink fumes. Write a letter, mail it, get a response… reconnect with people at human speed.

Six-Eye Jackson

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