Postal mail still is a portal to the outside world

Having family in Grand Coulee, I read The Grand Coulee Star opinion piece “Those early postal days” (Feb. 7 issue). I can relate to the penny postcards. My late grandmother Dora (White) Marples had a shoebox full of them. Most were from her twin daughters Ida and Ina Marples. A few were from her eldest son Bill Marples (my Dad). I enjoyed seeing the unique stamps and designs as I was growing up.

When I was age 6, a first-class stamp cost 6 cents. When I was 10 years old, postage was 10 cents. This parallel theme occurred when I was ages 15, 18, 22, 29, 33, and even into my 50s. Now, that I am age 60, the price of a stamp has jumped ahead of me to 68 cents per stamp. I don’t know if I will ever catch up, or not.

One unusual thing: When I was in my teens, I could mail a letter to Canada and Mexico for the same price I could mail a letter across the street. I think it was 31 cents to mail a letter to England. Now, it costs a whopping $1.55 to mail a letter to England or the Czech Republic. It almost makes a person want to reserve that for “important stuff”.

I like the postal mail or “snail-mail”. There is just something unique about a hand-written postal letter. It is a keepsake beyond measured value. By contrast, I do use e-mail for short chit-chat among friends and relatives, yet it is still a bit impersonal. I am old enough to remember when you had to lick a stamp. Those were the days before self-adhesive stamps.

I applaud letter carriers who still deliver. I hope the postal service doesn’t shorten the number of days of deliveries. That will shorten the days of excitement and joy, upon receiving the mail. One thing that’s nice about a postal mailed letter: It is a tangible object that can be held in your hands. You can almost feel the charm and charisma of the letter-writer. It requires no electricity to open. It cannot be hacked. And, it can be treasured many, many years.

Sincerely,

James A. Marples

Longview, Texas

.