1st Of September being the ‘World Letter Writing Day’, we at Collateral decided to celebrate and appreciate our traditional way of communication. We got out our pens and papers and started writing! It was incredible fun to write and receive anonymous letters. While we were enjoying the joys of letter writing, one particular ‘digital’ letter shared by one of our Storytellers caught our fancy. We don’t suppose there’s much to say about it; read the letter right here:
“Dear A,
I hope this reaches you in good health and at a convenient time (with email and WhatsApp, I could predetermine whether you'd be at leisure and send it accordingly, not the case with letters).
I write to you today to tell you the boons of communication via the digital medium. First off, can we have 2 minutes of silence for all the trees felled for the numerous ‘to & fro’s between couples that eventually broke up? What a waste. I think, given the fact that we can't predict the future, we should all switch to emails and WhatsApp, because the number of trees cut just to make paper for you to write a letter to someone to tell them you love them only to part ways with them just a few years later, it's just not worth it. And this is not limited to romantic relations, what about business relations or sibling relations that go sour? It's hard to fathom the number of lives lost (considering trees are living things).
Then there are all the peripherals, instruments, raw materials and personel needed, just so you can have the joy of writing. Who do you think you are? Envelopes and stamps, they're just another reason to axe short the lives of many innocent trees. Then there's the glue, imagine me poking you, puncturing your skin, just because I found your blood to be sticky.
Did I mention the slavery involved with letter writing? The letter doesn't just walk to its destination. The postman, who's hardly paid, has to walk, rain sun or snow just to deliver your sentiments!
I could go on and on and imagine if this was paper? All this aimless rambling would need more paper, more innocent lives lost, more pricking, more tree torture.
It's sad really. Anyways, I hope to hear back.
Yours,
R.”
Indeed the other effect, eh?
