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The handwritten inscription in the old book, yellowed from six decades in my possession, is short but precious beyond measure. "To dearest John with love from Mummy. December 1963."
She's been gone now for 20 years but this scrap of swirly handwriting - unmistakably hers - jogs her memory back to life. I'm back in the childhood home, a four-year-old by her side as she reads from the book, Indian Tales and Legends by J.E.B. Gray.
Smiles also come when leafing through old birthday and Christmas cards, which I struggle to throw out. The funny lines and best wishes, often also "signed" by dogs and cats no longer with us, evoke happy memories. Hendrix, the tabby cat; Gretchen, the bossy isa brown chicken; Jack and Dash, the beloved golden retrievers.
When Dash died, a colleague had her friend make a sympathy card with a hand-painted image of the dog. It is a treasured possession which brought me to tears at the time for its thoughtfulness.
On my fridge, four years after it was sent, is a letter from the company's then CEO thanking me for my reporting during the Black Summer fires. It's typed but has a handwritten addition, reinforcing its authenticity. I know I should file the letter away but I get a thrill from it every time I open the fridge.
Unsure if it's a symptom of age but I'm becoming sentimental about the old handwritten note or card. These days, a hundred of our closest friends swamp Facebook with birthday messages because the platform told them to. Felicitation emails arrive efficiently in inboxes while the letterbox collects overdue reminders and form letters from real estate agents keen to list your property.
It seems I'm not alone in hankering for the old-school card and its handwritten well-wishes. According to various retail news sites, millennials are leading a return to the humble but very personal greeting card, which like bookstores had prematurely been slated for extinction.
According to Inside Retail: "Large greeting card companies have seen revenue declines. But a smaller, vibrant craft industry in cards has emerged, and surprisingly, it's attracting a new, younger customer. While the two generational cohorts before them valued the convenience and speed of digital communication, those born between 1981 and 2000 seek a slower and personal way of doing things."
It explains it further: "A paper card sent in the mail, chosen with the sender in mind, communicates more than the message inside. It speaks to the effort the sender made for the receiver and communicates the importance of that person in their life."
Every year, my teacher partner is deluged with cards and handwritten notes from her departing year 12 students. They're thoughtful, funny and tangible. And they're heartening. Here is evidence these young adults have not forsaken the human touch that can't be conveyed in an email or an e-card.
HAVE YOUR SAY: Do you still send birthday and Christmas cards? Do you keep the ones you've received? Can digital communication ever be as personal as a handwritten note? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:
- Despite the prospect of powering Australian homes by nuclear power being potentially decades away if the Coalition is elected, and the power source being flagged by the CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator as the most expensive, opposition leader Peter Dutton has proposed a mix of small and large Australian reactors in the context of the current cost of living pain and reducing consumer power bills.
- Consultant Simon Kennedy will succeed Scott Morrison as a candidate for the federal seat of Cook. Mr Kennedy won Liberal Party preselection over Sutherland Shire Mayor Carmelo Pesce on Monday night and will contest the southern Sydney seat in a byelection triggered by the resignation of the former prime minister.
- Treasurer Jim Chalmers has foreshadowed a weak end to the year for the national economy, saying warning signs were present in the retail sector. National growth figures for the December quarter will be released on Wednesday, with some predicting GDP to have gone backwards for the last three months of 2023.
THEY SAID IT: "Sending a handwritten letter is becoming such an anomaly. It's disappearing. My mom is the only one who still writes me letters. And there's something visceral about opening a letter - I see her on the page. I see her in her handwriting." - Steve Carell
YOU SAID IT: Regional patients face a tough choice between pain-relieving medicinal cannabis and being able to drive without breaking the law.
Lee writes: "I have been diagnosed with PTSD and my specialist wanted me to try medical marijuana to deal with it. I live in the country, no public transport. It wasn't an option not to drive so I said no. I can tell you the biggest issue is speed and fatigue. I think tired people are much more dangerous than those who had their medical marijuana."
"All across Australia we absolutely need to follow Tasmania's lead on the impairment test instead of this rubbish situation where bloodstream presence places someone in the criminal system should they try and defend on medical grounds," writes Amanda. "It is particularly bad in regional Australia where no public transport exists. It's also about time that this country legalises cannabis use nationally and brings in a system that minimises black market trade, while maximising tax revenue. We did it for tobacco and alcohol. Surely it's cannabis's turn. Ever heard of anyone delivering a killer one punch while on cannabis?"
Brian writes: "Under most circumstances, I'm happy to join you in beating the social justice drum but not when it comes to driving. Any person with is a risk to others should not be on our roads. Just ask any grieving family with a loved one lost as a result of the impairment or inattentiveness of a driver affected by drugs or alcohol, or distracted by their mobile phone and a complex array of symbols on the information console a car dashboard."
"I've recently taken up medical cannabis," writes David. "I've used cannabis recreationally most of my life and since being diagnosed with MS almost 20 years ago, have continued to use it. It helps me sleep and mitigates 'restless legs', which is quite common with people with my condition. In nearly 50 years of driving, I have yet to be pulled over for an RDT. Which is lucky, I guess, as no doubt there will always be a concentration of THC in my system. Countless times I've been stopped for breath testing. There has got to be a better way to evaluate levels of incapacity due to marijuana use. I have become used to being a criminal in the eyes of the law. I'm retired so not overly concerned, but there needs to be improvements in the way the laws are implemented."
Maggie writes: "When I got my licence back in the 1960s, I was given a pamphlet with road safety information. I clearly remember one instruction: 'Do not drive when angry or emotionally upset'. While I can't claim to have always followed it, I have tried to be aware of the need for extra care in those situations. Seems to me the distraction of anger or distress is more dangerous than a trace of cannabis."
Four decades in the media, working in print and television. Formerly editor of the South Coast Register and Milton Ulladulla Times. Based on the South Coast of NSW.
Four decades in the media, working in print and television. Formerly editor of the South Coast Register and Milton Ulladulla Times. Based on the South Coast of NSW.
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