Just a few days ago a comment on one of my blog posts relating to one of my favorite songs seems to have drawn me into a moment of contemplation for no apparent reason. One of my favorite songs recorded by Elvis Presley is titled “Love Letters” and although it is not one of his mainstream hits, it is a song that has always struck a strong chord with me, no pun intended. But in that referred to moment of which I just spoke, I seemed to have come to a realization that we, our kids, our society in fact, is losing touch with one of the most romantic and meaningful things that we use to engage in with our lovers, whether they were our girlfriends, boyfriends, wives or husbands. And that is the art of writing love letters.
Play Me….
In the past I think it fair to say that to use the word ‘typewriter’ and ‘love letter’ in the same sentence seemed a transgression against all we held dear and sacred. And now we have the computer and instant transmission. Sure you can still bang out a letter to the one you love on the old computer keyboard but from my perspective there seems to be complete lack of warmth, sensitivity and passion in the act. There is a coldness and harshness that cannot be disguised by the words themselves. Simply words embedded in the cold metal of technology. Love letters weren’t just words on paper. They were words that flowed from the heart through the pen onto the paper with intensity and passion. The words themselves had a life and a purpose.
Remember the anticipation of going to the mail box or post office. Your heart pounding as you fumbled through the mail looking for that magical envelope that would lift your soul to the heavens. There was an unspoken realization she had been holding the pen from which flowed the words that your heart longed to hear. Her hands had touched the paper; the envelope. She had touched the letter to her face before mailing it, perhaps even sealing the envelope with a tender and wishful kiss. And lastly, there was that subtle scent of perfume that gave you a sense she was at that very moment only a heartbeat away.
For many of us during those good old school days, a love letter was a four page note on notebook paper that we had spent writing the night before sprawled out across our bed composing in lieu of doing the homework and studying we should have been doing. The next day at some water fountain in a hallway we would meet the love of our life and quickly slip the note into their hand. And then we would spend the next hours in weighted anxiety and anticipation of an acknowledging and reciprocating reply.
To say there is something romantic, even magical, about the art of writing love letters is perhaps to a great degree an understatement. And though those days have surely passed for me, I find myself almost in a state of remorse. Not because I may not write another myself, but because of all the feelings and sensations that so many others will miss for not ever having experienced the sheer joy and excitement involved with the writing and receiving of love letters. There is truly nothing like it in the context of love and relationships.
It seems to me there are just some things that are sinful to lose as this world and society progresses to its end. Several months ago I wrote a little piece titled “Penmanship and the Art of Writing” and I suppose this piece on love letters could certainly be considered a sister to that.
I don’t know if the few words written here today will do justice or honor to the wonder and magic of the love letter and all it has meant, but it seemed I must say something. I would love to end this post on a high note, but it just cannot be done from my perspective. There is for me, an aurora of sadness because of what I know so many will miss. No one will ever write or sing a song about love letters in the future it would seem. And to the meaning of the song that was featured at the beginning of this post, there will come a time in the not so distant future when no one will even understand its meaning….
Rain said,
November 2, 2009 at 11:03 am
Even worse than no love letters is nobody can spell anymore what with schools not teaching it as strongly (along with no penmanship) and spell checkers that save even us oldsters from the errors– if we pay attention to the underline anyway. Plus even if we once learned how to write, anybody who doesn’t journal has now forgotten the skill when it’s not even used for checks. So now, a handwritten love letter would be both illegible and misspelled which likely would ruin the entire mood for the reader
Charlene said,
November 2, 2009 at 12:25 pm
Oh how I enjoyed hearing that song again…in the past I had it on my blog..along with other love songs, ie.. “Lost Without Your Love…Bread, “Unforgetable”, Nat Cole, “Time After Time”, Carly Simon, My One True Friend” Bette Midler, “When I Fall In Love”, Celin Dion, “It’s Impssible’” Perry Como, The Nearness of You”, Nora Jones…
Re: the post that brought to mind love letters, I hope it was mine and I hope you visited my blog and my post titled “The Box”….it’s about love letters written to me in 1951-52 …
Blessings
Kay Dennison said,
November 2, 2009 at 2:36 pm
What Rain said except the reader, mostly likely, wouldn’t know/notice the errors.
I still have the beautiful emails from the gentleman who allegedly loved me.
Unfortunately, his ideas of forever didn’t last long. Oh well. The old girl has done that dance before and survived
Betty said,
November 2, 2009 at 4:42 pm
I agree with you. Somehow, “love e-mail” just doesn’t sound romantic enough, does it?
Martin said,
November 2, 2009 at 5:52 pm
It’s been awhile since I penned a love letter, but I have to admit I have sent and received several cards with a love notes, does that count?
Tina Steele Lindsey said,
November 2, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Dear Alan,
I think all your posts are love letters.
On another note, my love affair with love letters began in kindergarten. Do you love me? Check one, yes – no – maybe. Or carrying a tattered dime store Valentine around with me because some cute boy signed it (never mind all the girls got one.) There was was a day when I wrote many love letters. Why I’ve stopped is a shame. Thank you for the reminder.
But again, I feel all your posts are love letters.
joared said,
November 4, 2009 at 4:39 am
My first expressions of childhood “love” to “boyfriends” were via valentine cards. I certainly identify with the appreciation of the handwritten note or letter — handwriting can say so much about a person.
dion62 said,
November 19, 2009 at 4:39 pm
How about an e-love note? I personally love the hand written variety. I love to write them and recieve them. But in the absence of a handwritten one I still welcome an e-love note – not a canned one but a personal one. It will never replace a handwritten one but I miss them….
Bill Moon said,
December 7, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Allan,
Love Letters that brings up lots of pleasant and sometime unplesants memories. About three years ago I was trying to decide what to get my wife (now of 48 years) something besides the single red rose I usually get her for Valentines Day. It was raining and I decided to get a rain jacket out of a locker in the attic so I could work outside a while. When I put my hand in the pocket, I came up with a letter from her to me in 1966 while I was in Okinawa (I sure you remember Kadena well). Well when I read it I thought about the many Valentines Days we were apart, then I reached in the other pocket and came out with one she had written me in 1968 while I was in Vietnam. I decided to give her a Valentine with one of the letters included even though it was from her to me and not the reverse. I decided on the one from Okinawa not that her letter was any more loving than the other but because my memories when in Okinawa were easier to accept. Anyway she kissed me and acted like she liked the gesture. Maybe roses are better.