More memories...

[alexpgp]

In the same folder as the letter to my mother of June 28, 1964 was a second letter to my mother (who, if memory serves, was enrolled in a summer continuing education program at the University of West Virginia). The letter was dated almost exactly a month later, July 29. 1964.

The letter documents my grandmother's and my second trip to the World's Fair, and describes all the places we visited (7 pavillions and the guided tour) and the fact that stayed late enough to watch a fireworks display. (I vaguely remember the former; I do not recall the fireworks).

I also mention having sent a letter to a "pen pal" (a concept from before the era of global connectivity, in which kids from different coutries corresponded by postal mail). Reading the letter brought back the memory of having "acquired" a pen pal, as I notified my mother that I had sent a letter to him.

My recollection of my pen pal is very vague. I know I got the name and address of my pen pal at the Fair, the common interest I had put down on the form was "stamp collecting," and I have the vague recollection my pen pal lived in the Netherlands. We exchanged something on the order of a half dozen letters, but I suspect neither of us was very serious about staying in touch with the other, and so no lasting friendship ensued. I can recall the names of some of the people with whom I played chess by mail two and three decades ago; I cannot recall the name of my pen pal.

Cheers...

Comments

[furzicle.livejournal.com]

I remember having a few different pen pals. As you say, they never really lasted past the first inquiry, the response and then maybe that was it. One of them was written to me when I was about 25 by a 12 year old girl living in Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarin. Side Note: I didn't remember where she lived, but I felt I had a good idea in my head about what the geography of the region looked like. I tried looking at maps of the USSR and found a likely candidate but was not sure, plus the areas either weren't labeled or I didn't recognize the names. But I also knew that this girl (who went by the name Jane, I believe) had sent me a few packs of postcards to illustrate her homeland. I went up to look through an old rolltop type desk I have that I haven't looked through in decades. It was immediately entertaining. But I reluctantly stopped looking at old relics from my children's youth to look for the post cards. Amazingly, I found them quickly. And hence I give you Nalchik, Kabardino-Balkarin. Now that I see where it was I am kicking myself that I stopped corresponding with her. Not only is it an interesting spot in its own right, it is actually the epicenter of son Kris's enthusiastic focus from his college years. When we zeroed in on a google map satellite picture of the area, he was able to point out to me the names of all the regions around Chechnya, etc.

I think the problem with a pen- pal is that, (1) It took a good week or more for the post to arrive. (2) Then it took the usual time to get in gear and get a letter written. And (3) then of course the week more for the letter to go back to the sender.

How much nicer to send a message and get a response within minutes or hours!

And tomorrow I will check into that other stuff in the old desk!

[alexpgp.livejournal.com]

I think 95% of the issue has to do with your point (2), the "getting into gear" part.

Somewhere, I have a small bundle of letters of correspondence carried on during the 1930s, if memory serves, between my mother and a pen pal in France. I seem to recall the correspondence went on for several years.

I think enthusiasm and expectation will trump time frame (although admittedly, that might not be true in today's super-globally-connected world).

Cheers...