Yes, I will readily admit it; in some ways, I am certainly old-fashion, and passionately cling to threads of the past.
Under the direct influence of my father, Col. C.H. Breedlove, I have always enjoyed writing. Whether it was with a wooden, thick-lead pencil and my trusty Big Chief writing tablet, a yellow legal tablet, or, occasionally, with a white blank piece of paper and ink pen, I began printing/cursive writing as an early elementary-age youth in Our Town.
And I still do the much the same, multiple decades later, dear local readers and far, far beyond.
I get so much personal satisfaction from producing a written letter, note, or, yes, a postcard.
A postcard; what is that??
Well, I can tell you about that mostly 3-4-inch x 5-6-inch communication medium, until you are tired of listening about postcards.
They are DEFINITELY my favorite mode of my written word.
When my bride, Lady Deborah, and I travel, she knows I am always on a mission to locate these vanishing articles in souvenir stores, or any other retail outlet. In years past, many stores stocked postcards, but few do today. Over time, postcards have become almost as scarce as hen's teeth. I am almost always successful in locating some, however, but usually it is a challenge/scavenger hunt for yours truly to find some of these unique paper goods to purchase.
Once bought, I begin the process of writing my brief notes during each trip. Next, I address them, place postage, then quickly get them in the local mail wherever we are at the time. In the not too distant past, I would mail them from whatever world-country we were visiting at the time, but the last few years, I usually wait until we return to Our Country. Once back in the USA, my valuable written postcards enter our vast postal system. I have many friends, I have regularly mailed postcards for over half a century. I have even had several dear people make personal scrapbooks of all the postcards I have sent them for decades, and give me the special scrapbooks as great surprise gifts. I make a definite effort of writing to my professional office staff each day I am gone on a trip, carefully outlining what my bride and I did that particular day. In this way, my office receives a regular "dairy" of our activities. I keep all these at home after our employees read them, so the written cards help me recall just what we did in locations all over the globe. Any time I sit down and review these old postcards, I usually get a smile on my face and a twinkle in my eyes. It is great to remember the many experiences we have had seeing new things, as recorded on the old, saved postcards.
Of course, essential things I make sure I pack before leaving home each trip are my trusty address book (another example of my old fashion ways), plenty of stamps, and several ink pens.
How many postcards do I mail during each adventure? That varies, of course, with how long we are gone and how much "free time" I have during our trips. Ocean cruises are the best postcard-producing outings; occasionally, I will write between 50-75 individual cards, being especially productive during the sea days when we do not have a scheduled port stop.
So, I like to think my postcard writing efforts are a win/win situation. It certainly is a win for me since I love writing to my dear friends. Also, people on the receiving end consistently tell me they enjoy receiving personal mail, especially with a colorful picture of a far-away place on the front of the card.
Postcard writing is definitely one of my life's passions. That fact is absolutely certain. It has met the true test of my time.
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