I imagine that lots of people have things they need to say to me. Urgently. So I check my email obsessively, and wait for these people to say these things to me, curious, of course, about what it is they so urgently need to say. And when I refresh my email and see "Wells Fargo Statement Notification" or "Interlibrary Loan Past Due" or "Cougar Mail White Out" or "SaleMail Shop-it-to-me-Alert", I feel deflated--not popped, which is important because I think my soul makes that little noise that sounds like someone farting during a baby blessing (am I allowed to say this?), that noise that balloons make when the air is being let out slowly and painfully instead of with one gracious pin prick. The automatons behind these emails do have urgent things to say, mostly WE NEED YOUR MONEY, NOW! but I'm not that interested in hearing about it, and they go directly to my trash, shouting all the way.
I am happy to see that not all is lost from the good old days ("We exchanged letters, you know--mail." "You know, I've heard of it?") and that my joy at correspondance has transferred from paper to screen, and that I haven't missed out on the irritation of opening my mailbox to find only bills, notices, and impersonal spam.
Perhaps this is a plea for emails. If you have something urgent to say, and don't have someone to say it to--my inbox is always open.
3 comments:
"Interlibrary Loan Past Due." I hear that.
This makes me think of the opening scene of "You've Got Mail." But there is a buzz to knowing someone actually wants to send you messages. In The Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell discusses how when e-mail was new he'd savor the long dial-up and elaborate four e-mails the would receive. He would promptly respond with his own elaborate e-mails. Now that his inbox fills with junk and two-line commentaries, he lets a few days pass before thinking about e-mailing back his own one- or two- line thought back. Is this another instance of scarcity/rarity increasing value? Or are we just too used to e-mail to really appreciate it anymore?
first of all I totally appreciated the You've Got Mail reference. Secondly, you should send me your email. I'd be happy to correspond.
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