Daakiya aaya!!! (The postman's here!!!)

For those who have been fed to quite a diet of Hindi programmes based in an era gone by... or may be languishing in some remote corner of the country... this cry of a child would be quite familiar.

There was a time when e-mails and telephones were not part and parcel of our daily existence. It was during those times (read: a few thousand yrs) that the hand written letter was what carried the words from one person to another over distant lands. There have been other modes of communication but more of that later. So this snail mail was what people used to look forward to when they had someone close staying far away from them. It was during times like these, that children used to look forward to the postman. Because that meant a letter, a smile on someone's face.... The range of emotions that a postman or may be one can say a snail mail could cause has oft been chronicled but I suppose it's full import can only be experienced. So, I was saying, this snail mail business was so important at one time. I mean, like we grew up with snail mail. I still remember exchanging letter every month with my first cousin Rima for nearly four years on the trot, till we passed out of school. After that....

After that it was the e-mail and phone calls!! That's the beautiful truth for everyone. Or is it really beautiful. Though we've learnt to accept those e-mails in lieu of the hand-written letter, does it really convey the same message? Can someone tell me why do people still their love letters and send them via mail of hand over personally, rather than an e-mail or phone call??

The reason is simple. "Elementary, my dear Watson", is how Holmes would have said. The import and feelings conveyed by the hand-written letter is way too personal. It somehow allows one to peek into the heart of the person who wrote you that letter.

Sadly enough, the snail mail is losing importance. I mean, I don't remember the last time I received one, except for the greetings cards and stuff like that... I'm talking of letters!! I don't remember the last time I sent one.

So what do you say?? Wanna write a letter.... may be to the person you go back to everyday!!

-----------

The post was in reponse to David Mcmahon's post on snail mail.

Trivia: Here is a link to the history of Indian Postal Service