Although I love receiving mail, I think I like sending it just as much. Growing up in a household where my parents made me create, write, and then send off letters/cards for birthdays, holidays, and thank yous, the once burdensome task transformed into something that I grew quite fond of. By the time I reached late elementary school, I was sending off mail for fun. I sent letters and cards to businesses, relatives, friends, and of course pen pals! My first pen pal was in the fourth grade where I got set up with an African-American boy from New York named Maurice (sorry, off topic). Anyway, my hobby of letter writing has continued with me throughout my life to this day.

I think part of the allure for me with sending something in the mail centers on the fact that it is just such a good deal. I mean come on, how remarkable is it that I can put something in an envelope, slap a 46 cent stamp on it, and then send it to anywhere in the nation that I please? Not only that, but the turnaround is amazing, usually taking only a couple days to reach its destination. Because of the weird person I am, when I send a letter off I think about the route it will take to get to the recipient’s mailbox. I envision the ride in the mail truck from my drop box to the post office, from the post office to whatever plane or truck it is going on, from the destination city to the post office of the destination city, and then from the post office to the residence I am sending the piece of mail to. Again, all those twists and turns for just 46 cents. The U.S. Postal Service has a remarkable system.

While some might say that the proliferation of e-mail, instant messaging, and cell phones has devalued the traditional letter, I strongly disagree. I think just the opposite. The significance of a letter received in the mail is great because it means that a person declined all the convenient and informal means of correspondence and instead took a longer, more personal method to communicate.

So instead of being so long winded tonight, I want to do something different. I want to do something interactive. I want to do something that makes me act on what I am professing right now.

I want to send all of my readers a personal card through the mail. I am just asking for one thing: Share my blog on your Facebook page.

Would you like to receive a special something from me?

This is very easy. Right now on my Facebook page I have my most recent status update promoting this blog post. Simply click the “share” button under it and you will receive a heartfelt card from me. Once I see that you have shared it, I will direct message you and ask for your address. In order to be eligible, you must be a Facebook friend of mine.

So as much as this is a despicable, shameless way to promote my blog, it is also a way for me to correspond with you my readers and to brighten your day. I hope you decide to participate…especially if you look at my status and see that no one has shared It yet. Don’t Blink.

Make sure to look for this in the mail!