So I found a bag of letters in my parents' basement. Most of the letters seemed to be from a year in college after I was a camp counselor. What fun! I laughed at reading the updates about friends' "love" lives, benign daily happenings, and attempts to keep in touch.
The postcards from my mother's travels with my father that fall were branded with her famous "More Later. Love, Mother" tagline. That previous summer she road in a truck with my brother and sent postcards daily. They were our soap opera at camp. All my friends waited for the mail to learn what was next...as we always knew there would be another postcard the next day. I know I saved those, but I have yet to come across them again. She still sends postcards and they are as entertaining as ever!
But this bag of letters had two of real interest. One was a birth announcement addressed to me and two high school friends*. Only, I didn't recognize the baby's name at first. The return address was an old high school teacher who we three loved! She was one of those teachers who did genuinely want you to learn her subject. Yet, we had so much fun not being too serious about it that you were just completely endeared to her. She moved away before or during our senior year and her replacement was too strict and serious...and thus, we got in too much trouble. I lived only a few hours from her for 6 years and I never put it together. In any case, I looked to Facebook and there she was...how easy to find someone these days. How neat especially when you consider it's someone who made a positive impression on you. Facebook has a real place in our lives, but it still cannot replace a letter.
The second letter of interest was from someone whom I cannot recall specifically. The letter was funny and clearly to me. He was a camp friend from the summer I was a counselor. I remember the name, but cannot place a face. So at this point I sent messages to camp friends to see if they could help jog my memory. I would have to wait for their responses. The return address again was so important. This time, I realized his address then was local to me now. I was trying to determine why his somewhat unique last name rang a bell...it was because I know someone else with that last name. I didn't think this guy was her husband, but who knew? I again turned to Facebook. He came right up and his wife had a different name. The other small bits of information were plenty to feel confident it was him. I scanned his friends...one was a local business owner I know, another was a former camper (from whom there were also letters in my bag), and one was a name I recognized. Yep...it was my good friend's next door neighbor. So, I turned to Google. Oh, Google. At first I thought his address popped up as across the street from my friend...small world...would she know him? I corrected myself with Google satellite. He lives two doors down and she does know him. I was really and truly not trying to be a stalker, but rather in less than a few minutes, all this information was at my fingertips. I was curious. Here was this fun letter from years ago. And today now, there were all these connections to my past. For now, I have left it at that. It might seems strange to contact him out of the blue...strange for both of us.
I wonder what the next container of letters will hold. None at the post office today...so perhaps more from my parents' house.
Keep writing,
Ann
* (Side note about the two high school friends...I had seen one earlier that day as she was in town for the third's wedding. I was such lovely evening to celebrate their vows! Such eerie timing to find this letter. It seemed like more than just chance. Things happen for a reason...and the timing cannot always be explained.)
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