I remember getting mail as a kid and getting so excited about it. An envelope with my name on it. For me. Such a simple and awesome thing. This letter was in another person's hand and then made it's way by....who knows? Train? Plane? Bicycle messenger? Boat? How many people touched it? Did they try and look inside? Did they laugh at the drawings or stickers on the envelope? Were they a little jealous that the letter wasn't for them?
I had some pen pals for about a year in grade 11. I even made up a pen name for myself: Stina's Llamas. I thought llamas were so cool when I was 15. I still do; who am I kidding? I don't write many letters anymore, which is unfortunate. I love to paint and send postcards to friends or random people who trust me with their address. I also like to include a handwritten thank you note when I mail a painting to it's new home. There is just something so lovely about receiving a handwritten note.
I got a fun text from my friend Cathy in St. John's Newfoundland yesterday evening; it's the reason I'm thinking about letters and pen pals and mail. She has a friend who teaches World Geography to grades 4 & 5 at St. Francis of Assisi School in Outer Cove, Newfoundland, and asked if I could send a postcard to the class from where I live. Ms. Geehan put out a similar request last year to get friends of friends from as far away as possible to send postcards to the class so the students could track where in the world the postcards came from. Above is the start of my contribution to the project. But I'm not very far. I'm still in Canada. Almost on the opposite side of the country, but not quite.
So, if you have time, would you send Ms. Geehan's World Geography class a postcard from wherever you are? Near or far, doesn't matter. You don't have to draw your own, that's not the point, but it would be fun to keep this class occupied with marking where all these random postcards are coming from. Last year they got 300 or so. Maybe this year they can get more!
If you're so inclined to participate in such postal shenanigans, here is the address:
Miss Lynette Geehan
St. Francis of Assisi School
29 Outer Cove Road
Outer Cove, NL
A1K 4E7
There is no immediate time frame on this project. But try and get it done before you forget.
Happy Thursday!