By Mary Ann Cabanting
I was writing a letter to a friend of mine. It was 1998, fourteen years ago. At the time, mobile cellphones just reinvented the way people communicate. The letter was written in 2 sheets off-white stationery with a wash-out drawing of a pretty flower garden intended as a backdrop. I mailed it the following day and didn't expect to be answered, at least for a week. It was not long, after 3 days I received a response from my friend. Delighted by my friend's immediate response, I opened the envelop with a rush of excitement flowing through me. After reading the letter, it felt like I was running as fast as a jaguar and was about to hit a tree. My friend responded, "My sweet Mary Ann, I always knew you write pretty well and poetic considering your last letter to me. Do me a favor, can you please save some money and buy a cellphone so you can just text me anytime. I just finished a cup of coffee. Have to go now, you know what's like being a real state sales agent. Give my regards to everyone there. Bye for now." I close my eyes and thought, that's not a letter. It was just a note. The kind you left at an office desk that made you shrugged your shoulders after reading it. Feeling quite disappointed, I did not reply, not ever. At least not in the form of conventional letters.
Remembering that incident has made me realized when was the last time I have written a letter. A letter in the truest sense and not the kind of a memorandum that intimidates me to read. The answer: 1998... No, I didn't bought a cellphone until 2001. Feeling a little apprehensive about mobile technology at the time and still is today. But, considering the influence of television media and the advertising industry, I know the essence of its functionality. So now, given the explosion of mobile and computer technology. I have changed my mind and would like to respond to my friend's letter (still thinking it was just a note) fourteen years ago. So here's the letter...
Remembering that incident has made me realized when was the last time I have written a letter. A letter in the truest sense and not the kind of a memorandum that intimidates me to read. The answer: 1998... No, I didn't bought a cellphone until 2001. Feeling a little apprehensive about mobile technology at the time and still is today. But, considering the influence of television media and the advertising industry, I know the essence of its functionality. So now, given the explosion of mobile and computer technology. I have changed my mind and would like to respond to my friend's letter (still thinking it was just a note) fourteen years ago. So here's the letter...
| My dearest friend, Hello...the sky is a bit overcast here now and was drizzling a bit. Although it's rainy season, it hadn't rained for a week now and the sun was up like it did last summer. Weather changes have been quite unpredictable this past years. Anyway, I knewI didn't reply to your last letter which left me feeling a little apologetic for not doing so. So here's one fourteen years later. Is it a little late now? Like what you have suggested, I have a cellphone now, my fifth one. But my first cellphone was bought in 2001, a Nokia 5110 model, the one with a slim battery edition. Life has been so good and generous. Changing from one cellphone to another. Am I a little capricious saying that? I have learned a lot of things about mobile and computer technology over the past years. But, I must admit I miss writing a letter - the art of of it - putting on a scented off-white envelop, pasting a stamp and dropping it to a mailbox. And with the thought that the letter would be delivered safe and as fast as the post office's mailman can deliver it. Now, communication has changed tremendously. With emails and facebook, twitter and all that. I know you're a very busy person considering your up-to-date posts at facebook, "having lunch in front of my laptop...sooo...buzziie..." With 123 likes, a lot of people seems to favor eating while doing other stuff. There's so much to write about and I hope this letter will not take so much of your time. But with that thought, I'd like to end this letter by saying...I hope everything is well with you. Life may have been a little roller coaster ride but soon enough things will be better eventually. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Mary Ann P.S. I'm sending this letter through my android phone. Having lunch here at SM's free WiFi zone and still musing on the idea of being less poetic and use smileys instead.;-) |
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