10 Things I Learned From Composing Handwritten Notes - Entry #37

A byproduct of The Writing Project was developing what I’ll call “Ten Things I Learned From Composing Handwritten Notes.”  There are no great epiphanies or surprising revelations within the list.  They do, however, present my attempt to sum up my year-long experiences and thoughts.  So, in no particular order, my Top Ten.

1.    People really, really appreciate a handwritten card or letter.  I have received dozens of thank yous over the past twelve months for the notes I have mailed to individuals.  The key word is "mailed," as opposed to hand-delivered or sent via a campus mail system.  There is something extra special about finding a personalized card mixed in within all the junk mail and circulars that arrive at home.  The responses have been truly heartfelt and sincere.  I quickly realized that my thesis was indeed true—very few of us compose handwritten missives anymore and receiving one is highly prized.

2.    There does not have to be a specific reason to write to someone.  Sometimes I laughed when a friend would ask why I sent them a letter.  Did they do something wrong?  Did they forget an important date or event?  No, I would respond.  I just wanted to send you a note.  I think the biggest reaction from people came when they were least expecting to have a handwritten card from me arrive in their mailbox. 

3.    Don’t expect a response.  Yes, it was nice to have the tables turned and I would become the recipient of a piece of correspondence, but that was not why I began this journey.  However, while I was not flooded with cards, many people genuinely acknowledged my notes when we would meet face-to-face.

4.    Cards are kept as keepsakes.  I have been stunned at the number of individuals that have told me the note I sent them is sitting on their desk.  It instantly became a beloved possession to be cherished and treasured.  I have been humbled every time a person related this story to me.

5.    Handwriting a note does not take much time.  The hardest part of  composing some form of correspondence is forcing yourself to sit down to write.  Once I actually seated myself at a table, pen in hand the words flowed effortlessly.  It was just dragging myself to that darn desk.

6.    Think of pre-writing your cards.  Sometimes my words just cascaded off the tip of my fountain pen.  Other times I felt the need to write a draft or two before committing my words to paper.  This allowed for more reflection, when necessary, on my part.

7.    You don’t have to write a tome.  Very few of my cards were of great length.  As I ‘ve told students taking essay exams—it’s not the quantity, but the quality of the writing that counts.

8.    Be open and honest in your thoughts.  It is effortless to mechanically write a note with no heart or feeling.  That is the easy way out when composing a piece of correspondence.  However, while surely appreciated, the overall impact will fall flat.  Take the time and energy to impart your true sentiments.  In an earlier post I wrote, “a thoughtful notecard truly demonstrates the worth and value we place on someone.”  How true.

9.    A handwritten card is a chance to rekindle relationships.  My Writing Project has given me the excuse to reconnect with friends, relatives, and professional colleagues I have lost touch with over the years.  While we are not all-of-a-sudden on-going pen pals the renewed association has allowed us to forge a bond that had become tenuous.

10.                  A handwritten note has recuperative powers.  I was astonished by the number of people that were so deeply affected and gratified upon receiving one of my cards.  I heard such comments as “You don’t know how much your card meant to me.” or “Your card came at a very difficult time for me.  Thank you.”  Bottom line—you never, never know the magnitude a handwritten note will have on someone.

As I type these final words I have become somewhat melancholy and wistful.  This is it.  No more daily writing.  No further sharing of thoughts and feelings via this blog.  I will be continuing to write notes and letters, just not at the pace I pursued this past year.  That will be the legacy of The Writing Project—to keep the lost art of handwritten correspondence alive and well, at least in my own little corner.