Back then.

“There must be some word today,

From my boyfriend so far away,

Please, Mr. Postman, look and see

Is there a letter, a letter for me?”

I am going to assume anyone out there who is reading this recalls the days before email, texts, and “DM’s.” Certainly the “advancement of instant” has had a huge effect on communication—-you might remember the days when you would talk on the phone to someone you desperately wanted to speak to, while at the same time had your eye on the clock to make sure it was not going to cost you a fortune. 

If you didn’t, I did! 

My parents were quite accepting of my phone habits. It would usually start right after dinner, I mean who would do homework?, when the phone would ring, and the words, “It’s for me” would come out of my mouth; then the night would begin, and end, with a receiver to my ear attached to a cord plugged into the wall.

If we only knew what lie ahead back in the day. If you think about it, we were pretty much cocooned to the “area codes” where we lived—those were border lines where your friends lived, yet back then they were broad enough to cover many miles. But there was always a way to be in touch if we wanted to and it was cheap. We wrote letters. Yes, as on paper. Sounds foreign now, but the mail was the best way to reach out beyond the borders and connect with those who were really important. Whether they were across the state, country or globe, the letter was a lifeline and I loved going out to the mailbox to see if there was anything for me?

Prior to the demise of long distance, I wrote a lot of letters to those far away. Most were to a girlfriend who lived about 300 miles away or so, and then others to friends where the letter was the norm to keep in touch. I miss those days, but if this is how I communicated today, I would never hear from anyone. I have one friend from high school, who I probably talk to 5 times per week. We laugh, we finish one another’s sentences, and we revert back to the days when we were really funny. We do our best to remain that way, however my family doesn’t quite agree.

Many might say technology has advanced our culture, some would say it’s destroyed it, but for sure, it has helped us “remain in constant touch” when needed. Whether that’s good or bad, it’s too late; I am not sure what’s ahead, but I suspect we will look back on these days in the future and say, “Can you believe that’s what we did back then?”

The photo above was taken in my basement. As a way to keep my camera from becoming an antique during the winter I took up shooting still shots. When you live in Chicago, there’s plenty of time to shoot. If you are not sure what that contraption is, it’s a typewriter from the last century. Back then, when you made a “typo,” you had to either correct it with “Wite-Out,” scratch it out, or start over. I did all 3 many times! Sure I miss those days, but I also like having the ability to connect, engage, and “be available” whenever I want—-I wonder what I will be saying in the years ahead about how we did it back then?

Thanks for stopping by.