Good Ole Pen and Paper

I think many of us not only like to write, but we also appreciate the tactile qualities of sitting down with pen and paper at times. I know, pen and paper? How antiquated and quaint in this age of computers, e-mails, blogs, websites, etc. While I love the speed and convenience of typing on a computer (as well as never having to use White-out again), for personal journaling, I still use a book full of blank pages.

The pages can take on a somewhat mystical quality. They become more than paper; they turn into possibilities. Each blank sheet is ready to become filled with the best, or worst, ideas. There's something deeply satisfying about writing down my thoughts, venting about bad days, recording something nice that happened, all in my own hand. Some days, my writing is pretty neat. Other times, when I'm in a hurry or upset, it's almost illegible. But I always feel a connection to the past when I write like this.

Before e-mails, people wrote letters. I used to write a lot of letters when I was younger. Maybe you did, too. I even have some letters from high school friends and penpals and it seems each one contains more emotion and sentiments than the many e-mails I read every day, which can be deleted with one mouse click.

Tell me I'm not alone in my love of this almost outdated mode of communication. Will there come a day when we don't pick up a pen anymore, for anything? I certainly hope not.