posted
Annie left for Provo about a month ago, and didn't leave me her postal address (even though she said she would); two Hatrackers gratefully gave me her address both in Provo and in Tokyo.
I sent her a nice letter to Provo back on 09/09 and made sure the address was clearly and legibly written so that even the Israeli post could manage with it. I sent stuff to Australia, so registered mail to Utah ought to work, no?
So far, the Post service's Web site yielded no information, aside that it was received by the PO on 09/09. I don't know whether it reached (I didn't send EMS mail - too expensive), and to this day, 30 days later, I received no reply.
I know Annie is busy, I know that she is going soon to Tokyo, but she never actually postponed mail whenever we talked on e-mail, and if she was busy she'd send me a message saying "I'm sorry, but I'm currently busy doing such and such, I wish I had more time to spend e-mailing you, and I'll get back to you ASAP".
And yet, nothing received. 30 days later. It should only take what, 7 days to arrive there, and 7 days back? That means that it was almost 15 days she could write me? She nomally wouldn't leave it lagging that long without a notice.
So I ask you, what is going on? Why didn't I even receive a "sorry, I'll send you back mail when I get time" message? It only cost me the equivalent of US$1 (and that's in the Land of Bilk and Money) to send the message (plus buying the smallest single envelope they had - a padded one for CD-ROMs, and a registered-mail stamp). Surely money is not an issue, and a quick message saying "I'll send you a message when I arrive at Tokyo/whatever"?
What is it? I'm depressed every time I check what's going on with my little envelope and see nothing new. I still keep the little slip of paper and just to be let down time after time.
"To strive, to seek, to find and not to yield."
Posts: 2978 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Honey, don't worry yet, she'll get to it, I'm sure she has intentions of doing it, or possibly, she has not recieved it, stupid mail in the US can take a while, it's ok.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
usually I think. I almost always send boxes not letters, so I'm not that sure on those things.
Posts: 5362 | Registered: Apr 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Don't worry too much. She has a great many things to do. That doesn't mean that something happened, or that for some reason, she's ignoring you.
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Thanks anyway, (((breyerchic04))), I've gone on to the net all the time, especially every time a Sabbath or a holiday was over and I could recheck the net. But it's still 09/09 that's the latest date mentioned.
For all I know, the damn P-Off might've lost the envelope. It might be in the depths of the Atlantic for all I know, or blown away somewhere deserty in Nevada.
I just hope that something will happen and that it will be worth the tense anticipation that's not getting any better. I miss Annie, I miss Hobb(e?)s. I miss many people.
Posts: 2978 | Registered: Oct 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
You can't mail a letter like that... it's much easier to write an e-mail that says "Sorry, I have no time, I'll write later." Writing a letter just doesn't work that way.
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
The post office lost my Harry Potter book, which my husband left at my in-laws', and they mailed here by Priority Mail (which has a guarantee.) The post office there has a record of sending it. The post office here has no record of receiving it. There's apparently nothing else they can do.
My mother-in-law or the post office or somebody owes me a new book.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
I wouldn't worry too much about not receiving a "can't write right now" letter. It's really not practical to do so. In email all you have to do is hit "reply" and type the note, then hit send. And you're probably already sitting at the computer for something else anyway.
For letters you have to: Find the stationery and a pen/pencil. Sit down and write. Find an envelope and stamps. Assemble the whole thing. Drop it in the mail.
The writing part is relatively easy, but psychologically all the other stuff is probably the reason for the procrastination. So it takes just about as much effort to write a note as to go ahead and write the "real" letter.
I have a love/hate relationship with email because of the difference. I used to write long letters to lots of penpals. A relatively few people normally took the time to write back, but even a short letter was a treasure. Nowadays my number of correspondants has increased a hundred fold, but the quality of correspondence has dropped to near zero. Now I hear from a lot of my family and friends regularly, but more often than not it is by way of some forwarded joke or saccharine chain letter that I've already received 10 other times.
Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
Karl, that's how I feel about e-mail too. I'm an avid letter writer, so it's difficult to accept that. I still write people letters sometimes, but by the time it reaches them, they already know what's in it... plus, people rarely reply. Or, they reply by e-mail when they get a letter in the mail. Which makes me sad.
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
| IP: Logged |
posted
Yeah, I really miss letter writing. One of the years I was in Korea, I kept track of my letter writing very closely and found I had sent over 500 cards and letters in one year. These weren't junk letters, either. Most were a couple of pages, and the cards were usually pretty thoroughly decorated with my own artwork. Many of my penpals and a couple of relatives wrote back in kind. It was always a neat feeling to hold something that a loved one also recently held. You don't really get that feeling via email. Posts: 6394 | Registered: Dec 1999
| IP: Logged |
quote:Originally posted by Raia: Karl, that's how I feel about e-mail too. I'm an avid letter writer, so it's difficult to accept that. I still write people letters sometimes, but by the time it reaches them, they already know what's in it... plus, people rarely reply. Or, they reply by e-mail when they get a letter in the mail. Which makes me sad.
Well if that's what you are asking, let me tell you something first. If you plan on sending another letter, you must not give her even one shred of guilt for not replying to the other one. In fact, pass it off as something which is no big deal. Something to the effect of "I know you are probably too busy to respond right away, but I was thinking of you the other day and wanted to tell you..."
Nobody likes to be put on a guilt trip, and if she's anything like me, she'll be less likely to respond than before if she feels likes its an obligation to do so.
I'm also a little concerned by your attitude toward this. Why is this such a big deal? Normally I would assume its because you are interested in her romantically, but with you I don't think that's a safe assumption. Either way, you need to calm down about the whole situation. If your original letter sounded too needy, or made her uncomfortable, another letter won't help the situation unless its fairly breezy.
Posts: 5656 | Registered: Oct 1999
| IP: Logged |
posted
You know what else? She may not know/have the correct postage to Israel (you're in Israel still, right?) She may only have postage for America, not know how much to put on, and not have been able to get to the post office recently.
Posts: 21182 | Registered: Sep 2004
| IP: Logged |
posted
Let me tell you a little bit about the MTC Jonathan. You wake up every morning at 6am, study for a few hours, and then go to class. You're in class all morning until around noon when you then go eat lunch, maybe grab 30 minutes to go to the gym so you don't turn into a lump of fat, and then you go back to class. You stay in class until 5 when you then go eat dinner after which you go back to class some MORE, or you go to a meeting/lecture, etc. Class ends at 9:30 when you have about 30 minutes to get ready for bed, write in a journal, collect your thoughts, pray with your companion and get your butt in bed. Lights out at 10:30pm and it starts all over again in 7.5 hours.
She gets one day to write letters. On that day she also has to do ALL of her laundry (which usually involves waiting for the washers and dryers to be free) write to her family, have a little free time, go to the temple across the street, study some more, and then go back to class after dinner that evening.
The most precious thing to any missionary is time. There is so very little of it. Your letter was probably received and I'm sure it meant a lot to her, but Valentine is right. There is no way that you can put pressure on her. She is busier right now than any of us and that's a fact. Give her a break and let her get to it when she can. It's not because she doesn't want to. you know her.
I write to my very own brother in the MTC (he's going to Poland!) right now and at the end of my letters I wrote:"You dont' have to write me a separate letter. I know you don't have time. Just write to mom and I'll read that one." My own brother!!
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
Then again, registered/priority/air/etc mail is sorted differently than regular mail, which just gives several more ways for a letter or package to be lost or delayed in transit.
BTW: Regular mail is usually as fast as or faster than the alternatives, except for 'guaranteed overnight delivery'. It is common for commercial airliners to carry mail. So regular mail typically gets put on the first mail-carrying plane heading toward the correct destination. Air/etc mail has to wait for the few-and-far-between planes specificly designated as air/etc mail carriers.
Posts: 8501 | Registered: Jul 2001
| IP: Logged |
quote: Let me tell you a little bit about the MTC Jonathan.
Well, there ya go. I guess that's the reason; never guess how packed timing was. I mean, I know what you've got to deal with in top universities here - but I never imagined 6 days a week of over 12 hours a day.
posted
He will Kama. He's so excited. The language is kicking his butt right now, but he says they're working really hard on it.
Jonathan, one other thing I'll tell you about the MTC: Letters are like GOLD! I know she really appreciated your letter and that she'll appreciate every one that you send, even if she can't respond to all of them. Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
| IP: Logged |
posted
I do. She is. And it's because she doesn't get to choose how she spends 98% of her time. That's why she's busier than the rest of us. It'll be different when she gets to Japan, but in the MTC it never stops.
Posts: 6415 | Registered: Jul 2000
| IP: Logged |
Printer-friendly view of this topic
![[Smile]](smile.gif)
![[Wink]](wink.gif)
![[Mad]](mad.gif)
![[Frown]](frown.gif)
![[Blushing]](graemlins/blushing.gif)
![[Kiss]](graemlins/kiss.gif)
That's ok. I wasn't targeting you, specifically. There are many many people who don't respond.
