How many of us when we were young had a penpal? It is a tradition that has not survived in its old form... yet has it been re born in the form of social media?
The whole idea of snail mail seems rather absurd these days, when an email or a quick message in a forum or comments section can give us instant gratification.
When I was a child, I went to a small country primary school. It was a tough little place. Full of all sorts of children that I would never have met in my life before I went " to school. "
Prior to going " to school " I lived in a cosseted world: it was safe and largely carefree, apart from the odd bit of bullyng from my older brothers.
In fact, I was a very lucky little girl. Two older brothers and two parents ( who, incidentally, didn't even realise that they identified as man and woman ) and Dad went to work to earn the money that Mum would spend to make sure that we were fed, housed and safe from harm.
The day I went " to school" is etched forever in my brain. I had a new pair of gumboots for the ocassion and a new thing that I had to take in order to go " to school. "
It was a little white cup with a cherry flavoured drink and it was to stop me from getting something called Poll EE Oh.
I remember vividly drinking that sugary syrup and thinking that going " to school " was rather marvellous if I got to drink something that my mother would never have let me drink " at home. "
My school life was uneventful.
I was an arrogant little girl who knew that I came from a better home than many of my fellow students. After all, I had a mother and a father and they were married. My siblings were my blood siblings and we slept in beds, made up with fresh white sheets - not a stack of potato sacks or hessian bags.
My father brought home a thing called a " pay packet " which he handed over to my mother every fortnight and in return, my mother would turn that pay packet into food, clothing, shoes and love.
Such was my childhood.
My heroes in those days were my Dad and my teacher, a man who I had the great privilege of re meeting a few years ago. He did not disappoint.
One of the things that my teacher gifted me was a thing called a pen pal.
The idea seemed preposterous to me at that time. Imagine, writing to someone in another country and never meeting them?
What a foolish idea!
But that is what he did.
I lost touch with my penpal in Rhodesia ( as it was then known) but, strangely enough, I have found some new ones.
People I will no doubt never meet.
People who I share so many thoughts, emotions, feelings and worries.
I have only a few " pen pals " on line - but those that I do care for and with whom I interact are dear to me.
I have had the great privilege to speak with a few over " the telephone " and to hear their voices is soothing and nothing short of miraculous.
I cannot help but think that in today's confused and ever increasingly suspicious and unkind world, our reliance on our " pen pals " from the internet are more important than our everyday friends?
Who knows?
I speak with one of my " pen pals " most days. He is a good chap: coming up 90 years of age and what he may lack in agility of body, he makes up for in agility of his mind.
My own mother , Redhead, is a robust young lady and someone who appreciates a good pen pal these days, since her beloved husband left her to pop off to Heaven some years ago.
I then had the great privilege to speak with one of my other " penpals " this week. A fellow who defies the mortein that is sprayed around the world these days in order to eradicate that annoying pest called " a free mind. "
I wonder what would happen if like minded people actually ceased to be penpals and actually met - whether by " zoom " or in some other platform?
Or are we better off being pen pals and rejoicing in the mystery of being strangers that met on a beach and can still hold hands?
Perhaps our ability to converse freely is because we do not know each other and probably never will.
Is anonymity the new outspoken?
Because it seems to me that the only people I can speak with these days are my penpals that I have never met.
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