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Loves letters

College columnist praises First-Class Mail

Mail
Technology is no match for the mail, a University of Michigan student writes.

Not all young people are obsessed with texting and social media.

Allie Scholten, a columnist for The Michigan Daily, the University of Michigan’s student newspaper, recently penned a love letter to letter writing — and the people who collect, process and deliver the mail.

“[M]y heart belongs to the United States Postal Service,” Scholten writes, adding that many of her relationships “revolve around a mailbox.”

Scholten acknowledges letter writing is a fading form of communication, noting that most people now confine their sentiments to texts and tweets of 140 characters or less.

“Even my grandparents have put away their stamps and envelopes, turning to social media to learn of my goings-on,” she writes.

However, she insists digital communications can’t replace handwritten letters.

“There is permanence in pen and ink. I have found immeasurable comfort within the lines of handwriting sent by my long-distance friends and family. I crave the tangibility that comes with hard copy letters, creased within the envelopes.”

Scholten’s conclusion: “[T]echnology has yet to match the warmth and sincerity I have found in mail.”

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