“Why don’t she write?”is a line from the movie Dances with Wolves. It’s the scene where the guide and the Lieutenant come upon a wagon done-in ……… those of you who know the movie will remember the scene. It’s a great line. I awakened this morning thinking about that line. I make cards, one-of-a-kind cards. They are beautiful, but a waste of time if no one uses them. As I try to figure out how to market my cards I came to this realization; people don’t write letters and cards anymore. E-mail has made it so quick and easy that in a matter of minutes…………..in seconds a person can get a message to anyone and it won’t cost a stamp or a trip to the mailbox. They do send e-cards and animated cards so easily that it makes what I do almost extinct. I don't dislike e-mail or receiving an e-card. It keeps people from real time, face to face stuff. I think the internet has changed the ‘intimacy level’ in a friendship ─ not good or bad ─ different. It eliminates that anticipation when one receives a letter........from a friend not the IRS! You know that feeling, nice paper, wonder, texture, noting the return address........Oh, it’s my friend in Colorado! The acts of opening the envelope and pulling out a hand-made card; looking at the image and feeling that your friend took the time to find an image with you in mind and sat down to think about you.............that's a good feeling, it’s about being present, in the moment.....on purpose.
Here’s the thing…………..when I choose a card, sit down, write a note, I am making choices. In those simple acts I move with intention. I chose to take that time to consider my friend; what might she like in a card? What will catch her eye? By sitting down, with pen in hand, I create a distant “face to face.” Are we too busy to take a moment……..or ten from our day? I know I had been. That MAY be the reason I left my job [didn't have any time] now I do and I make cards!
The act of putting pen to paper may seem foreign……it’s fun! I love writing notes. I use a #2 pencil or a pen that really allows the ink to flow. Anyone who has ever received a letter from me will confirm the fact, I write big and move through a word or a thought in a “full body” motion! It is very liberating.
The point is this; when I take the time to acknowledge someone ─ I stop, get my tools and put my thoughts to paper ─ it means something to me. It’s a way for me to show they are on my mind and they matter. It is one of the ways that I “live with intention”; it’s a way to slow down so I don’t miss the good stuff; it’s like giving someone a smile and a hug freely.
Think about it and give someone a smile and a hug………send a note......it matters!
Just a thought,
EC
