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Old fashioned skills for the modern age

After some feedback re my 'real conversation' blog I have decided to issue a further communication challenge to anyone reading this.

It again relies on a rapidly declining skill and challenges us to put ourselves out there a little more than an email or text message. It doesn't allow us to hide behind abbreviations or symbols, it is an 'old fashioned' letter.

And the purpose of the letter, this time, is to tell someone something about what they mean to you or have done for you. Letters were once the only means of distant communication and were frequently kept and reread as a source of comfort and joy, so whether you chose to pen a thank you note, a love letter, or an outline of what someone means to you, know that you are taking a huge step further than sending a text message or email.

Letters have a physicality to them, a handwritten letter the added dimension that time, thought and effort has gone into it, no cutting and pasting available and if the letter arrives in the post there is also the added excitement about receiving something interesting.


So, where to begin, if you are stuck then you could try the following starters, remember there are no right or wrongs with a letter and once you begin you may find it quite difficult to stop.


Dear........
  • I have decided to put pen to paper to let you know how much I appreciate you.
  • I thought that I would take some time to consider all that you have done for me over the past (x  amount of time) and drop you a line to let you know what that has meant to me.
  • I find it very difficult to express myself verbally so thought I would write to a note to tell you how much you mean to me.

Enjoy writing the letter, and let me know how you get on.

 

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