A medium allows us to do, mean, relate, think and be. Let’s imagine you are traveling the world while your best friend is back in your hometown. It is easy to share your experiences with your friend by snapchatting pictures of yourself at various sites and countries, or emailing about this cool museum you went to and what you learned there. These are two of the many mediums you can use when communicating with your friend at home, but what about after those ten seconds of the Snapchat or when the email gets trashed after a week of a full inbox?
A postcard is a very different, yet traditional way of communicating, typically from a far away place to another. It takes sending a message to a more personal level by using your own script. The essence of a postcard is to allow the recipient to see a pretty sight on the front while enjoying a heartfelt message on the back. Speaking as to how postcards allow you to do, mean, relate, think, and be, you must look at why they are important to keep around as our society moves forward.
First of all, writing a postcard allows you to do more than sending a text. A postcard allows you to unplug and communicate through written word with a pen or pencil, to share your travels or experiences with that friend at home. Although writing a postcard does not allow to to reach a wide audience, it allows you to speak one on one with someone without ads or notifications to distract you.
When writing a postcard, you have to mean what you say and say what you mean. There is only so much room for writing a message on a postcard, so you have to make every word count. The action of purchasing a stamp and finding a post office allows you to show the recipient that you find it important enough to send them a card from wherever you are. It shows how much you care and what that person really means to you.
This also has to do with relating with one another. A postcard can help you create a new level of a relationship with someone, or maintain a high level of connection with that person. To some, a postcard may seem cheap and not worthwhile but to that special someone or friend back home, it shows them that you are still thinking of them even though you are far away. Even from a foreign country you are relating with that person on a different level than many do with technology. It is to say, I am here and you are there, but I am still thinking of you, so take this postcard as a sign of the significance of our relationship.
When buying a postcard, it is important to think about who is deserving of your message and who is just going to see a picture on a social media platform. You must think about which image or design displayed on the front that person would like the most. It is unlikely and would be very time consuming to send a postcard to all your friends, let alone all your Facebook “friends”. You have to think, who do I miss the most and would want here with me now, or simply who do I want to know I am thinking about them.
Lastly, a postcard allows you to be a lot of things. To send your postcard you must know the person’s address, so there is a need to be on that level with that person. It then allows you to be more intimate with that person by hand writing them a letter. Although it may not get to them right away, you can still give someone a reason to be happy and smile when they receive it. You are able to be genuine and wholehearted with that person through written word.
All in all, a postcard is timeless. The beautiful pictures displayed on the front and well thought out messages on the back, it makes it almost hard to throw away. Whether it is a love letter, an “I miss you” note, or a “this is where I traveled to today” message, a postcard is definitely one of my favorite forms of communication. It is a medium that I often use with my loved ones to add an additional form of communication and thought. Postcards will hopefully never get outdated and continue to be used by those who find them special.