Paper and pen - imagine that!

Paper, stationary to be more specific, has always been a bit of an indulgence for me. I love pretty notebooks and writing paper... they call out to me.

Seems more than a bit odd for someone who does 99.9% of their writing on a computer (or iPhone when it isn't busted!) doesn't it? But really, I buy them; I love them; I don't really use them.

Recently paper and I have had a bit of a reunion - partially with intent, partially due to circumstance. In a combination of being more thoughtful in my writing, and trying to keep grimy little paws from banging on my laptop, I dug out some old notebooks. And I quickly realized that not only are my kids not particularly interested in my notebook (no buttons, pffft!) the exercise of putting pen to paper is almost magical (we're in that lovey dovey stage ;)

What it does is slows down the whole process. I can type so much faster than I can hand write. I spend more time pondering and less time verbal 'diarrhea-ing'. Then, I have to type the post, giving me a chance to rethink again. (My posts may still seem written off the cuff, but I'm actually trying hard to craft the thoughts behind them ;) Another bonus? I find the act of writing on paper calming. It's a way to focus, something I need to do more of.

In the process of rediscovering my love of writing on paper I felt inspired to write some letters. REAL letters on paper - mailed and received in a mailbox. I was nostalgic for the days of the 20+ page tomes I used to receive in the summers from friends away or just from a different town (I lived in a rural area as a teen and went to a regional highschool). And I remembered all of the notes written and passed back and forth between classes, folded into pinwheels and arrows. Do kids still write each other notes all origamied up or do they just text now?

I wrote two letters, letters full of all kinds of information I usually forget to write in emails or just don't take the time to put to paper. And then I realized what one of the big pitfalls to letter writing is. Getting it into the mailbox. Those two letters have been sitting for two weeks on my bookshelf - they aren't even addressed yet. But the thought was there and the exercise was still nice.

Paper and pen - I am using it more and feeling good about it. I don't want it to become a lost art. I plan to write more (lucky me I have so much nice and fun stuff to write on! :) What about you?