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Carol Perkins: Deliver the Letter, The Sooner the Better Remember paper letters which came in envelopes? Carol Perkins does, with a note of sadness for the pleasure reading them still brings. The next earlier Carol Perkins story: The Fortune Teller By Carol Perkins The Edmonton Post Office hasn't always been where it is now, as most aren't. The post office I first remember was in the building on the corner next to the new justice center. It looked quite differently then. It felt sterile like many government buildings do. I may not have this exactly right, but I think the postal workers stood behind arched windows with bars and along the right wall were post office boxes, like today, only they opened by a combination, not a key. Even as a child when I would "run in to get the mail," I often had to "run back out" to the car and refresh the sequence of the combination from my dad or mom because I had forgotten it by the time I walked up to the tiny window. Mail was the main way of communicating back then Mail was the main way of communicating back then. Long distant phone calls were expensive and were usually reserved for special occasions or emergencies. All during my teens I wrote letters to other young people whom I had met at camps or church events. It hasn't been too many years ago that I found an old box of letters from that period and some of the people who wrote to me are long gone from my memory. I called a few of my friends, "Do you remember anyone I might have written in Campbellsville named so and so?" Nobody remembered. It was likely someone I had met at 4-H camp. The letters were youthful and silly and basically said nothing. When I went away to college, I wrote letters home. Not many, but enough. I remember rushing to the mailbox every day in the lobby of my dorm and looking through the tiny glass to see if I had any mail. We girls knew the exact time of day when the mail was being put out, and many times a crowd would gather, waiting. Those from other states were especially anxious because their trips home were limited to two or three times a year. Wrote weekly in the Navy days Guy was in the Navy during my college years, so we wrote weekly. His letters always came in airmail envelopes that were like parchment. I don't know if mail is sent overseas that way now or not. They had a different look and feel. His letters were always about where he had been and about life on the sea; mine about studying and school. Of course, we wrote all the mushy "I miss you" stuff, but mostly the letters were from two people whose lives were so far a part it is a wonder we found our way back. When we moved to our present home and I cleaned out the attic, I threw away all the letters we had written. I guess I was thinking about how immature they sounded and how if others read them, they would think they were silly. I wish now I had kept them, and here is why. Student posted she'd spent day reading grandparents WWII letters One of my former students posted on Facebook that she had spent the day reading letters written by her grandparents to each other during WWII. She posted that she had read and cried all day to discover how they once were. I think we don't see our parents or grandparents as young people in love. Perhaps I should have kept my letters. While in college, I remember vividly receiving one letter from my dad. I was so shocked because I never knew him to write a letter to anyone. I figured my mother said, "Henry, you should write Carol." I kept that letter because that is the only voice I now have of his. I had some from my mother, but I found one just the other day from my grandmother Reece and it was so like her. "You be good and don't forget to study and don't be looking at too many of those boys. ha" Sometimes he would put a "ha" at the end of her sentences. I notice I do that in my emails. I will always keep that letter because it is the only voice I now have of hers. Elvis, the Shirelles and others sang about letters During "my day" many songs were about letters. Elvis sang, "Return to Sender" and the Shirelles', "Please, Mr. Postman." I haven't written a letter decades. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure I have any penmanship left. Emails have ruined us. However, since I have started writing my columns, I have received sweet, sweet letters from readers who are not of the computer generation ( and their handwriting is beautiful). I have kept those letters. I have never kept an email. The post office has been in the present location for years. I still have a post office box, but it opens with a key. I have walked in and realized I had left my key in the car and made another trip to get it. My forgetfulness has not vanished. However, when I open the box today, I never expect anything but junk mail or bills. Occasionally, I will find a card or an invitation, but no personal letters. If you think about it, letters have been a source of history for families and for historians since man first learned to write. I guess our history is now stored in hard drives and on removable disks and handwriting is a thing of the past. Sigh. About the author: Carol (Sullivan) Perkins is a lifelong resident of Edmonton, KY, in Metcalfe County where she taught high school English at Metcalfe County High School until her recent retirement. She is a now a freelance writer. is married to Guy Perkins and they have two children: Carla Green (Mark) of Brentwood, TN and Jon Perkins (Beth) of Austin, TX and six grandchildren. Her latest book, Let's Talk About, is a collection of over 70 of her works, and she is presently working on the second book in this series. Carol's ties to Adair County go back to Breeding where her grandfather, Rufus Reece, and her grandmother Bettie Strange, began their married life and later moved to Metcalfe County. You may contact Carol at cperkins@scrtc.com or write at P.O. Box 134 Edmonton. If you would like a copy of her book, you can order through email. Watch for her next story next Sunday. IF YOU'VE ENJOYED READING CAROL PERKINS' STORIES on ColumbiaMagazine.com, you'll love her book, "Let's Talk About It. . . ." The books are $15 plus $4 for shipping. Send check or cash or money order to Carol Perkins, P.O. Box 134, Edmonton, KY 42129 They can be bought at the Herald Office in Edmonton, KY, or Terri's Fine Jewelry in Glasgow, KY. This story was posted on 2009-11-08 01:20:15
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Have comments or corrections for this story? Use our contact form and let us know. More articles from topic Carol Perkins:
Carol Perkins: The Fortune Teller Carol Perkins: Dating Carol Perkins: The Bird Carol Perkins: The Bullfight Carol Perkins: Right Now in a Minute Carol Perkins: The Harvest Carol Perkins: Worry Wart Carol Perkins: What Page? Carol Perkins: Ma and Pa Kettle Carol Perkins: Shall we gather at the river View even more articles in topic Carol Perkins |
 
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