by Kimberly A. Cook (Twitter@ WarriorTales)
In last week’s post about requesting military records I showed a picture of letters we discovered which my Dad wrote home during World War II. My author/editor buddy Cindy Hiday made a very astute comment, she always does, but this one got me to thinking. She wondered how we would be remembered when we are using email or blogs instead of hard copy physical paper.
So this is where I confess to my stash of keeper cards. Think I can blame this on my Mom who gave me a School Days memory book to store my school pictures and odds and ends like report cards and the occasional greeting card. Over the years I have kept special cards which catch my fancy or mean something to me. (I’ve had to move up to plastic shoe boxes)
In today’s digital publishing world with fiction books heading steadily in the exclusive ebook direction and textbooks ending up as ebooks, is there still a place for paper?
Yes. I think greeting cards are coming back. I know crafters and teenagers alike are buying typewriters, yes you read correctly, to make words standout on jewelry pieces and to have typing contests. Seems the fact you can’t get an instant message or text on a typewriter is a plus for concentration these kids say.
Some of the fun things I have in my home office are quotes on plaques; words displayed with art. Wonderful combination. Like greeting cards.
I’ve only had time to look at a few envelopes in the stack of war letters my Dad wrote, but I did find one very interesting card. It was a Christmas card mailed from relatives in Gold Hill, Oregon in 1930. It was addressed to the Cook family in Troutdale, Oregon. Period. That was the entire address. My Dad would have been seven-years-old. It was special to him and he kept it. Words on real paper still rock!
Do you have any keeper cards?
Thank you for the acknowledgement, Kim. 🙂 I probably have enough keeper cards to fill several plastic shoe boxes (or old Tupperware in need of re-purposing!). Some I inherited from Mom and Dad’s collection: birthday cards we kids gave them. Many of my own keepers are Christmas cards. They’re so colorful, and some even sparkle!