Snail Mail: The Original Social Distancing
With public health officials asking us all to stay at home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, we need to be mindful of maintaining connection in these isolated times. We’re lucky to have a bevy of technologies to aid in that endeavor. If you’re here, you’re likely more interested in the more enduring, tactile forms of communication, and for good reason.
The National Archives explain the importance of letters as historical records: “Documents--diaries, letters, drawings, and memoirs--created by those who participated in or witnessed the events of the past tell us something that even the best-written article or book cannot convey…. [Readers] become aware that all written history reflects an author's interpretation of past events…[and they can] directly touch the lives of people in the past.”
Much will be written about this chapter in our collective history. Aside from that toilet paper meme you shared on social media, how much of the historical record will include your lived experience? Maybe a letter you write now won’t be kept for posterity; you still have a lot to offer your present-day readers with a thoughtful note.
Write about what you’re feeling and what you’re doing. Are you scared, bored, anxious? Process it a bit on paper. Have you discovered a new tv series or book? Recommend them to friends. Did you try a new recipe, maybe one that cleverly uses some staple ingredients? Pass it along. Wondering how others are faring through their own webs of challenges? Ask.
Brene Brown’s research on disaster survivors shows that what they missed most were the little things. Drinking coffee in the morning with your partner, building blanket forts with your kids, passing your neighbors on the sidewalk while you walk the dog: these seemingly small moments matter. Write about the small stuff along with the big.
Send these out to the people you care about, and keep a record for yourself in a journal or blog. Who wants to hear from you, you ask? Plenty of folks.
Write to people who need a check-in. Those who live alone, have suppressed immune systems, experience mental health struggles, or are attempting homeschool while working remotely would likely love for you to ask how they’re doing. And according to my social media feeds, extroverts are really not weathering this well. So give them some attention, would you?
Write to people you haven’t connected with in a while. We’re all desperate for good news and pleasant surprises. Delight someone from your past with a little love in their mailbox.
Write to your people on the front lines. This includes absolutely anyone who works in or around healthcare, including those answering phones and cleaning. Remember, too, your people whose livelihoods depend on sectors of the economy that are negatively impacted right now; they might need to be reminded of their value and worth.
Write to your elected officials. Tell them about your experiences and what resources, changes, and focus you’d like to see from them.
Write to those who don’t hear from many others. Love for the Elderly organizes snail mail drives for seniors, and Postcards for Good is an intermediary for postcard requests from people who are sick or experiencing other hardships.
Write to the people you talk to regularly. You may think you’ve said everything already…but maybe you haven’t.
Write short postcards, write long letters, write jokes on the back of envelopes. Whatever your medium, just write, write, write.
Want to get your kids and other favorite littles snail mailing? Sign them up for Postcard Pals by March 24th.
And as always, postcards subscriptions are available for kids of all ages for a year, 3 months, or month-to-month.
I’m leading a webinar on snail mailing in socially distant times on Tuesday, March 24th. It is hosted by Leadership Montana and is free and open to all. Grab a ticket and come join me!
PS - Paper has a very low likelihood of carrying the virus, but you can always swipe your mail with a disinfecting wipe to be on the safe side. See the USPS’s statement on coronavirus impacts here.