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Amid Pandemic, Take Pen in Hand

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Now, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the handwritten letter has begun a comeback. Miss Manners and others encourage writing to thank the many people battling the virus on the front lines.

They also suggest writing to elderly nursing-home residents and others who’ve been isolated and shut in for months - because simple kindness and compassion can benefit both writer and recipient in these unusual times.

Could the handwritten letter help us address deeper challenges, too? Instead of posting strident snark on social media, why not take time to think things through and explain your viewpoint to a movement leader, a mayor or anyone else unaccustomed to receiving thoughtful, heartfelt letters?

Writing by hand calms the thinking process. It brings out our better angels. It helps convey clarity and bring understanding to complex matters.

I’ll bet writing by hand would help letters’ senders and recipients alike begin to realize they have more in common than not - that our communities are not as divided as we may think. Most simply have different ideas for achieving the outcomes we all desire.

 

We won’t know until we try. So, pick up a ballpoint pen and write some “thank you” cards to people who’ve sacrificed for all of us during the pandemic. Then write some memorable, uplifting letters to folks who’ve suffered in isolation for months.

That’s a good start, anyhow.

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Copyright 2020 Tom Purcell. Tom Purcell, author of "Misadventures of a 1970's Childhood," a humorous memoir available at amazon.com, is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review humor columnist and is nationally syndicated exclusively by Cagle Cartoons Inc. For info on using this column in your publication or website, contact Sales@cagle.com or call (805) 969-2829. Send comments to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com.


Copyright 2020 Tom Purcell, All Rights Reserved. Credit: Cagle.com

 

 

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