Okay guys. I wrote my first letter and mailed it out today! Yay!
There have been some other things I've thought of in the past week that may make this difficult.
1. I get new numbers to put into my phone all the time, so...it's going to be hard to keep track of how many people were in the phone when I counted '254' and so on. I think I'm just going to go through the phone a couple of times until I've written a letter to everyone in the phone. Does that make sense?
2. I realized that this is going to cost a bit, you know, for postage. So, while I am planning mailing out some letters, I may just email some...I know, I KNOW, it's gross. I've decided the following:
a - people that are in St. Louis will get hand-delivered letters with just their name on the front and no stamp.
b - family members and good friends outside of St. Louis will get mailed letters
c - other people, people that I was never really close to but had their number for all-intensive purposes, like co-workers that I spoke to maybe three or four times, will probably just get an email or facebook message.
Sorry this isn't as cool as you all once thought. But like I said, trying to save money...for when I need to send out save-the-dates and invitations and all that junk. Yay!
The next letter: a dear friend from high school.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
1/254: Dear Andrea
Dear Andrea,
Well I guess I don't have to explain what this is, since you saw it on facebook and sent me a message about it. As I begin writing this letter I'm realizing how difficult this project will be to complete.
To begin, thank you for always being accepting of me. In a family that somewhat...well, doesn't really care for my family of four, it's nice knowing that SOME people like being with me and mom, dad, and Emme. I know that after you've left Grandma and Grandpa's house, you've never said bad things about us, like some other family members. I've always appreciated and respected that.
To be truthful, I always thought you were pretty much the coolest teenager around (when you were a teenager, obviously). You were always so kind and sweet, and even when I was really young (and when you were younger, too) you always asked me lots of questions. It always made me feel really, really special. Someone cared about me! Someone wants to know what I think! And I don't want to sound as though everyone else in the family hates me. I know they don't. But there have been moments when we've had a conversation and it just feels...perfect. Sometimes I really wish that you lived closer, or I lived closer to you, so we could hang out all the time.
It's funny to think how different we were raised - in two different cities with different parents - but how alike we are. And I know that you and Pedro and Zinny have all been through a lot of drama in your family...and I have been deeply in awe of how well you all took it. I only saw the outside of it - as I'm not in your direct group of friends, or go-to people, but you always seemed so bubbly and happy and cheerful whenever I saw you.
And lastly, I want to say how proud of you I am. It seems weird to say that because I'm much younger than you, but when Mom told me that you were studying to be a lawyer, I realized how much sense that made. Then when you got a job offer before you even graduated, I thought, "WOW she must really know what she's doing!". And then when you got the super awesome job that you have now, I was truly blown away. I'm so happy that you've found what you truly love and have an amazing job because of it. I can only hope the same for me!
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Love,
Kaylen
Well I guess I don't have to explain what this is, since you saw it on facebook and sent me a message about it. As I begin writing this letter I'm realizing how difficult this project will be to complete.
To begin, thank you for always being accepting of me. In a family that somewhat...well, doesn't really care for my family of four, it's nice knowing that SOME people like being with me and mom, dad, and Emme. I know that after you've left Grandma and Grandpa's house, you've never said bad things about us, like some other family members. I've always appreciated and respected that.
To be truthful, I always thought you were pretty much the coolest teenager around (when you were a teenager, obviously). You were always so kind and sweet, and even when I was really young (and when you were younger, too) you always asked me lots of questions. It always made me feel really, really special. Someone cared about me! Someone wants to know what I think! And I don't want to sound as though everyone else in the family hates me. I know they don't. But there have been moments when we've had a conversation and it just feels...perfect. Sometimes I really wish that you lived closer, or I lived closer to you, so we could hang out all the time.
It's funny to think how different we were raised - in two different cities with different parents - but how alike we are. And I know that you and Pedro and Zinny have all been through a lot of drama in your family...and I have been deeply in awe of how well you all took it. I only saw the outside of it - as I'm not in your direct group of friends, or go-to people, but you always seemed so bubbly and happy and cheerful whenever I saw you.
And lastly, I want to say how proud of you I am. It seems weird to say that because I'm much younger than you, but when Mom told me that you were studying to be a lawyer, I realized how much sense that made. Then when you got a job offer before you even graduated, I thought, "WOW she must really know what she's doing!". And then when you got the super awesome job that you have now, I was truly blown away. I'm so happy that you've found what you truly love and have an amazing job because of it. I can only hope the same for me!
Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Love,
Kaylen
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Introduction.
Hi. I'm Kaylen, the author of this blog.
And I explained the project here, but if you want in and have no idea what this whole "254 letters" thing is about - well, listen here.
For the past couple of years, I've been wanting to write letters. Not letters to strangers, or a pen pal (although those are fun). I've been wanting to write letters to people that mean something to me. There is one man in particular whom I've been grateful towards ever since he danced with me at a dance when his son (also known as the love of my life for NINE years) didn't show up. I realize that may be a weird example to use, but it was so sweet and just made me feel so happy.
Those are the people I want to write letters to. My old friends from grade school, whose telephone numbers I have but do not use. Ex-boyfriends. I don't think I need to say anything else there.
Anyways - about the phone numbers. I counted in my cell phone last night and found that I have 254 contacts. I plan on writing a letter to each person, a hand-written letter, and then mailing it to them.
I plan to write one letter a week. After I have handwritten it, I will type it up onto this blog; hence, "254 letters". However, the letters will be somewhat unanimous. The example I used on happy notions - Pete (the fiance) is obviously on my blog. I will title the post in which I write a letter to him, "Dear Pepe" or something like that - both names start with a "P". Get it?
As much as I look forward to this project, it's really, really scary. I plan on telling the people in the letters the TRUTH. For instance, the dad I mentioned earlier (let's call him Mr. Samson) has a son (let's call him Simeon). Like I said, I was in love with Simeon for NINE YEARS. We went to grade school together, remained close friends in high school, and I finally fell out of it in 10th grade. But seriously - from first grade to 9th grade, I adored him. We still keep in touch and try to visit each other when he's back in town from school, but I've never told him how I felt. He'll find out soon enough...although is name is under "S", so it will actually be awhile.
There are also people in my contacts that I haven't talked to in YEARS. They'll be confused, surprised, and hopefully happy.
The purpose of this project isn't to make people feel awkward. I want my friends and family, past and present, to know how much they have meant to me, and continue to mean to me. I'm not one to forget things. I remember when a friend, Kiki, didn't include me in games in 3rd grade, but I also remember crying with her in her black-and-white tiled kitchen when a friend died. I remember laughing hysterically on vacations together to lines from Austin Powers.
So, that's the plan. As for now, this blog is relatively underdeveloped and I'm okay with that. Hopefully, as time goes on, it will evolve and look prettier and, daresay, more unique and fancy.
First up: a letter to a cousin of mine who I rarely see or talk to, but when I do, she's pretty much amazing.
And I explained the project here, but if you want in and have no idea what this whole "254 letters" thing is about - well, listen here.
For the past couple of years, I've been wanting to write letters. Not letters to strangers, or a pen pal (although those are fun). I've been wanting to write letters to people that mean something to me. There is one man in particular whom I've been grateful towards ever since he danced with me at a dance when his son (also known as the love of my life for NINE years) didn't show up. I realize that may be a weird example to use, but it was so sweet and just made me feel so happy.
Those are the people I want to write letters to. My old friends from grade school, whose telephone numbers I have but do not use. Ex-boyfriends. I don't think I need to say anything else there.
Anyways - about the phone numbers. I counted in my cell phone last night and found that I have 254 contacts. I plan on writing a letter to each person, a hand-written letter, and then mailing it to them.
I plan to write one letter a week. After I have handwritten it, I will type it up onto this blog; hence, "254 letters". However, the letters will be somewhat unanimous. The example I used on happy notions - Pete (the fiance) is obviously on my blog. I will title the post in which I write a letter to him, "Dear Pepe" or something like that - both names start with a "P". Get it?
As much as I look forward to this project, it's really, really scary. I plan on telling the people in the letters the TRUTH. For instance, the dad I mentioned earlier (let's call him Mr. Samson) has a son (let's call him Simeon). Like I said, I was in love with Simeon for NINE YEARS. We went to grade school together, remained close friends in high school, and I finally fell out of it in 10th grade. But seriously - from first grade to 9th grade, I adored him. We still keep in touch and try to visit each other when he's back in town from school, but I've never told him how I felt. He'll find out soon enough...although is name is under "S", so it will actually be awhile.
There are also people in my contacts that I haven't talked to in YEARS. They'll be confused, surprised, and hopefully happy.
The purpose of this project isn't to make people feel awkward. I want my friends and family, past and present, to know how much they have meant to me, and continue to mean to me. I'm not one to forget things. I remember when a friend, Kiki, didn't include me in games in 3rd grade, but I also remember crying with her in her black-and-white tiled kitchen when a friend died. I remember laughing hysterically on vacations together to lines from Austin Powers.
So, that's the plan. As for now, this blog is relatively underdeveloped and I'm okay with that. Hopefully, as time goes on, it will evolve and look prettier and, daresay, more unique and fancy.
First up: a letter to a cousin of mine who I rarely see or talk to, but when I do, she's pretty much amazing.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
