We still send out cards but not as many as when I was young. Not the cost tho--just too hard to keep up with all the addresses nowdays. I still write letters too. When I was a kid, we lived in ahouse that had a big square post in the middle of the living room---that's where all the Christmas cards were tacked up at every year. Some years, they wouldn't all fit--all 4 sides would be filled solid.
I don't like email at all. I might check it once/month--usually every 2-3 months unless someone lets me know they sent something thru a pm or by phone. I suspect cell phones have also took a bunch of businesses away from USPS as well. Everyone has one and compared to the old days, people talk to one another a lot more often now instead of writing a letter, but I can still remember going to the mailbox, bringing mother the mail and she would read us words from far away relatives.
I miss those days.
GMN, you're right about the old Christmas cards. I have one in a box, that my father sent to my mother from some Army base in England in 1946. Really a work of art--not just some flat boring print like ya see nowdays.
When I lived in San Angelo, and needed to mail something to an address in town, here's how it went.
I drop it in my mailbox.
Mailman picked it up and dropped it at his branch at the end of his route.
That night or next morning, it went to the San Angelo Main Post office.
From the Main, it went (like all San Angelo mail) to the sorting facility in Big Springs--about 50 miles IIRC . (all San Angelo mail had a Big Springs postmark--no SA postmark)
The next (3rd) day, the letter rode the truck back to San Angelo Main.
Next day or that night, it went to the branch where that zip code was.
Finally, delivered the following day.
All that, just to get a 1st class letter or payment delivered accross town.
I could have a letter delivered from San Angelo to Baton Rouge La (where my elec bill payment went) faster than mailing one 5 miles across town.
Go figure.
