My name is Norman, I am the newest addition to the State Press staff as an opinion columnist. I am like every student at ASU: I wear polo shirts and sandals; I drink; I love football; I play the only worthwhile sport, beer pong; I'm in the business school; and I drive my car to school every day paying too much money for a parking pass, only to realize I still have to walk a mile just to do crosswords in class. I am average in every form with one exception: I write letters.
We have all seen people move away from us with superficial promise to stay in touch, only to never speak to these people again. While that may be my desire with most people, there are a few people I would like to continue talking to. This semester began with some amazing people who have been a large part of my life no longer in the same vicinity as I am in; they left for various reasons, and it is completely selfish of me to wish they haven't left. But there is a consolation prize: I get letters.
My friend Melanie left for Michigan to study. She wrote me a letter that I received the other day. In the letter she stated that she usually doesn't write letters since they take up so much time and thought, but she would make an exception to write to me. The moment I read that, I understood the reasons I fell in love with letter writing to begin with.
When I first began writing letters I had all the time in the world, but now that school has started I have had to ration my letter writing time. Just because I don't write letters nearly as long as I used too doesn't mean I don't think about them as much as I used to. I think about what I am going to write in letters during every activity I do. I have noticed that I can formulate more complex ideas quickly, and those ideas come more easily to me.
While these are great practical advantages of letter writing, I have not even discussed the best part: receiving a letter in the mail. I check the mail every day hoping to receive a letter, and when I get one my day brightens significantly. Everyone is happy when they receive mail, but when a letter is received you feel even better. You know someone is thinking about you; you know someone cares. When you send a letter you know that you will be making someone happy. In a world where everyone appears to be depressed we should all do what we can to make everyone happy.
I realize this is a very self-indulgent column, but letter writing is one of the most self-indulgent activities you can do. When you write the first letter to someone you know, or sometimes even someone you don't know, you tend to write about yourself for most of the letter. You write down your concerns, what makes you happy and a discussion of your current life situation. This act in and of itself is therapeutic, but also extremely self-indulgent. You can be whoever you want to be in a letter, or through words. It is one aspect that has made the Internet so popular, and one of its more dangerous aspects.
While I began by stating I am a normal ASU student, the truth is that I am not. I try not to drive a car. Instead I ride my bike everywhere; I was once in a major that had potential to make me a great job, but now I am just a silly liberal arts major; I have never played beer pong and don't like sports. I am sorry for lying, but we tend to not listen to those who are different from us.
Reach the reporter at: norman.shamas@gmail.com.
