two decades worth of saved letters found their way back to me today. i read as much as i could and then threw them all away. i was surprised that these letters still existed as i thought i'd gotten rid of most of them in years past. having lived in well under a thousand square feet for the last 14 years, i've gotten pretty good at getting rid of the superficially sentimental (i do keep some letters that mark milestones in my life). having recently moved from new york city to los angeles i was already familiar with the weeding process throwing away wedding cards from well wishers i did not know (my parents' friends) and countless post cards from well traveled friends. the only cards i kept were those from the dearly departed.
looking back and reading over the handwritten mementos, i realize that these letters are simply, records of a time that really do not exist for me anymore. with email today, it seems as though the only mail i receive is impersonal. and on that occassion when i do get something personalized, i'm ridiculously happy. i hope that once i settle back into a routine, i'm going to take the time to write a few notes. memos worth chucking out and maybe some worth keeping for a lifetime. the truth is, i'm not sure i know what your handwriting looks like, and isn't that kind of weird?
the more i move the more i realize that i simply do not have the space to harbor such tokens. however, it was a pleasure to see names i hadn't remembered in decades. i don't wish to re-initiate friendships from the past but i do wish that someday these old pen pals and friends of mine, might find my letters and remember that time as fondly i do.
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