That was the sub-headline written by Ed Tracey in this Diary. He explained:
Just ask 9 year-old Beatrice Delap, who wrote a letter to Captain Jack Sparrow asking for help from him in organizing a 'mutiny' against her teachers at a Greenwich, England elementary school. Johnny Depp is filming the latest "Pirates Of The Caribbean" in London and answered her letter. In character, in costume .... in person: coming to a hastily-announced school assembly with her letter in-hand .... but suggesting that there were too many police in the area to attempt a mutiny that day.
That got me thinking, when was the last time you wrote a note on a piece of paper to somebody?
I often joke here I am a geek of a pretty high order. But I also have a love of fine paper. This goes back to the days when I worked at ad agencies and I learned there were literally thousands of different types of paper. Often very expensive. The texture, the feel of them in your hands, the way they take ink, it was kind of neat.
If a client was going to drop say $100,000 to print a brochure, we got a lot of paper samples. The production staff always looked at me sideways when I asked if I could have some of the samples.
I used the paper to write handwritten notes. It might be to thank you for a gift, a job interview, a nice dinner, or just to say hi.
I know exactly where I got this trend from. My grandfather used to, once I went to college, write me a long multi-page hand-written letter each week for years until he passed away.
I was young and dumb at the time. Couldn't he call. Heck send a check. I later came to realize it was a labor of love. Deep love. You know it takes a little more time to write a letter then type an email.
I now send out letters on that paper I got (I got a lot of it) and cards to thank folks for their business (I work for myself) or any number of things. Maybe only a line or two.
The responses I get back are staggering. You took the time to actually write me a letter on paper, put a stamp on it, and send it off.
So this Sunday I ask you to write a letter on paper and send it out. I am sure if you do, the person will really, really appreciate it.