Writer's Choice

For my writer's choice assignment, I chose my tradition paper entitled "The New Letter Writing". I will admit that it as been a long time since I sat down and hand wrote a letter. In all honesty, I cannot remember the last time I did. In this paper I described the diminished role of letters in the age of email and social networking.

I chose this paper because of the memories it stirred while I was writing it. In recruit training (boot camp), there is no email. Our only connection to family and friends back home were the letters we wrote and received. Mail call was a much needed morale boost in the evenings, and I can remember many nights where I saw the dim glow of a flashlight under someone's blanket as they read and re-read letters from their mom and girlfriend. When I deployed to Afghanistan I was able to keep in touch with my girlfriend (now wife) via email. Occasionally we were also able to talk via instant messenger. It was so easy to take for granted the fact that we did not have to wait weeks between letters. I couldn't imagine how much extra stress it would have been on her to not have semi-regular communications with me, ensuring her of my safety.