Old letters – Time machines

Was reading an old old letter from a friend, written way back in my college days – full of hope, full of “Ifs”, looming large, full of LIFE, and even yesterday, it could transport me back in time. These were conversations, back and forth, and instantly, I could remember the thrill with which I used to open them, sit and read them. Go finish some chores. Come back and read them again, at leisure. Time machines, really.
As I read them yesterday, I thought perhaps I should write a letter. Just like back then. But then, since the Time is Now, I would probably give a call and let it out that I have sent a letter, or better, message a cryptic message(!), or worse, email and let them know that they should watch out for post!! Because, as far as I know, other than magazines subscribed to, all one gets through snail mail is tonnes of unwanted ‘Holiday in Maldives, through Amex’, ‘Citi makes it easy...just for you’, Utility payment (ever noticed how the credit card and phone bills arrive three days after the sms and the email pdf arrives, and probably, if you are the prompt kind, you might have made the payment also) and the likes, which are promptly discarded even before they are opened. I wouldn’t want to risk that happening to my letter!!
Really, whatever are we doing? With increased communication, there is hardly any time to actually converse. All we want is ‘to be kept in the loop’, ‘will keep you posted’, ‘will mark you a cc on this one’, ‘text me his business card’... Ironic, we are the Machines with no sense of ‘real time’!!