The Seasonal Tsunami of Senior Mail; No Longer a Pandora's Box

By Doris O'Brien

The art of letter writing's dead,

Or sick at any rate,

Since cyberspace has reared its head,

And sealed the letter's fate.

We 'visit' on the internet,

By its attraction smitten.

Phone calls we make; e-mails we get,

While letters go unwritten.

But some of us are of a mind

That there are few things better

Than in our daily mail to find

From friend or kin, a letter.

Zeus gave Pandora a storage jar (pithos) as a wedding gift which she opened, releasing the swarm of evil spirits trapped within. These would forever after plague mankind. Only Elpis (Hope) remained behind, a single blessing to ease mankind's suffering. The engraving is based on a painting by F. S. Church. Wikimedia Commons

Senior citizens have earned a reputation for being dependable, which may explain why the product made exclusively for us is called Depends. Among the things that seniors are expected to do with greater reliability than an other demographic are (1) voting, and (2) going regularly to their mailboxes. (I bet you expected me to say something else!)

Casting a ballot is usually a biannual event. But the obligatory trek to pick up our paper-based stash has for many of us become an urgent daily ritual. For some, the habit may have even morphed into an obsession. And in extreme cases, it could constitute the only exercise we get.

But in this electronic age, the mail cubicle is rarely the Pandora's box it once was. For the most part, communication has become computerized, and the 'off line' crowd cannot expect subsequent generations to resort to the old fashioned way of sending mail, especially when it is far less efficient.

Still, those of us who have survived the vicissitudes of time are often imbued with the sort of optimism that enables hope — like bygone pogo sticks — to spring eternal. At the appropriate time of year, for example, we may happily discover a birthday card or two, sent to us by those who still buy and lick stamps. And if we're lucky, the holiday season may bring a comparative bonanza of greetings — though, again, there's always the chance of ending up as disappointed as Charlie Brown.

Pages: 1 · 2

Culture and Arts, Relationships and Going Places, Culture Watch, Politics, Meeting Places and Romance, Senior Women Web, Articles, Sightings, Doris O'Brien, Authors, What's New

The Seasonal Tsunami of Senior Mail; No Longer a Pandora's Box

More Articles