This past week I realized how easy it is to become addicted to the Sims. My sister and I rediscovered our love for this addicting computer game. I started playing it on Wednesday morning on a whim and then all of a sudden my parents were coming home from work. Slightly embarrassing but way too much fun to care a whole lot.
However, I realized as I was doing dishes with my madre today that I am going to have to come up with something else to do otherwise I am going to feel like an utter couch potato. Of course this is only going to last for about 2 weeks until I start work--but I hate feeling lazy, it literally makes me feel sick to my stomach. Nevertheless, I have come up with a list of things to accomplish this week. Unfortunately I am not as spontaneous as I like to think I am.
Current goals:
-weed the garden
-finish Life of Pi
-sketch in my new sketchbook
-finish sewing a skirt I started three years ago
-go for a run every morning
-go around town and take pictures
-go hiking in the Adirondacks
-stop spending money I am not making
-fix my bike
-attempt to bike around Chautauqua Lake
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Purpose and Benefits of Letter Writing
I will begin with a question, is there one? Is there a purpose and/or benefit to letter writing? The Jane Austen fanatic that I am initially cries "of course!" But after some reflection and pondering I do wonder.
In all of Jane Austen's novels letter writing plays a central role in the overarching plot--and as Bernadette in the movie, The Jane Austen Book Club, points out Austen allows the gentlemen to explain themselves to the women, often through the art of writing letters.
This art form was practiced much more in the days of Jane Austen, and many people, myself included may complain about why that art form died. I love receiving letters in the mail, they are more personal in my opinion because it, most likely, took more time and thought to write the letter than it would to spit out an email or, thanks to advances in technology facebook, twitter, et cetera.
Here is the problem I run up against, is direct verbal communication better than written form? Many people I know have an issue with technological communication--texting and facebook is an abomination to communication. I do agree that it diminishes the importance of personal, real communication because now people believe they can have relationships with others without ever talking face to face! (a fact I find completely ridiculous) Yet, in that sense is not letter writing just like writing an email? Both do not allow for face to face conversation and allow the opportunity for the receiving party to avoid a response. Moreover, the person composing the letter or email often feels the need to do so because he or she believes that what is contained in the letter would never be said aloud. If one feels uncomfortable saying something to another person's face, should it be said at all?
I do admit that there are circumstances in which the answer to this question is yes. But then I wonder, what is the benefit? If I write a letter to get something off my chest and the person I am writing to has the option to never respond, what good does it do? Now I am sitting in limbo wondering not only what did that person think, but was it ever read to begin with--that is a very dangerous situation. Furthermore, written communication is devoid of body language and tone of voice.
So now I find myself back to my original question, what is the purpose and benefit of letter writing? I would argue that benefit is found in the purpose. If a letter is written to encourage and uplift then the benefit is great. That topic is not a topic that can be easily misinterpreted, it is written to be positive, and therefore, most likely it is. Conversely, if the letter is written to explain a problem or a feeling the benefit could be positive but it also could be negative (its pretty much 50/50). Feelings can be very easily misinterpreted even in person, therefore attempting to communicate them via the written word can lead to an undesired event to put it mildly.
So what do you do when you have something you need to say but you are terrified to say it in person?
If you figure that one out, please fill me in on the lucrative secret.
In all of Jane Austen's novels letter writing plays a central role in the overarching plot--and as Bernadette in the movie, The Jane Austen Book Club, points out Austen allows the gentlemen to explain themselves to the women, often through the art of writing letters.
This art form was practiced much more in the days of Jane Austen, and many people, myself included may complain about why that art form died. I love receiving letters in the mail, they are more personal in my opinion because it, most likely, took more time and thought to write the letter than it would to spit out an email or, thanks to advances in technology facebook, twitter, et cetera.
Here is the problem I run up against, is direct verbal communication better than written form? Many people I know have an issue with technological communication--texting and facebook is an abomination to communication. I do agree that it diminishes the importance of personal, real communication because now people believe they can have relationships with others without ever talking face to face! (a fact I find completely ridiculous) Yet, in that sense is not letter writing just like writing an email? Both do not allow for face to face conversation and allow the opportunity for the receiving party to avoid a response. Moreover, the person composing the letter or email often feels the need to do so because he or she believes that what is contained in the letter would never be said aloud. If one feels uncomfortable saying something to another person's face, should it be said at all?
I do admit that there are circumstances in which the answer to this question is yes. But then I wonder, what is the benefit? If I write a letter to get something off my chest and the person I am writing to has the option to never respond, what good does it do? Now I am sitting in limbo wondering not only what did that person think, but was it ever read to begin with--that is a very dangerous situation. Furthermore, written communication is devoid of body language and tone of voice.
So now I find myself back to my original question, what is the purpose and benefit of letter writing? I would argue that benefit is found in the purpose. If a letter is written to encourage and uplift then the benefit is great. That topic is not a topic that can be easily misinterpreted, it is written to be positive, and therefore, most likely it is. Conversely, if the letter is written to explain a problem or a feeling the benefit could be positive but it also could be negative (its pretty much 50/50). Feelings can be very easily misinterpreted even in person, therefore attempting to communicate them via the written word can lead to an undesired event to put it mildly.
So what do you do when you have something you need to say but you are terrified to say it in person?
If you figure that one out, please fill me in on the lucrative secret.
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