Do people still have penpals?

Trish

Trish

VIP OAP
For a while, as an eight year old, I had an Australian penpal. My teacher at the time took part in an exchange with an Australian teacher and they arranged for their respective pupils to become penpals. I was recently reminded of my penpal when chatting to an old school friend who mentioned it and it brought back memories of those thin blue airmail letters which unfolded into one big sheet. I am not sure that you can even buy airmail letters anymore.

I can't remember my penpal's name but I do remember she had an older sister who was very keen to write to one of my older brothers but, at that time, my brothers were more interested in football than writing to girls! šŸ˜Š
 

I believe there are some real pen pal programs around still. I recall seeing them as late as the 1990s.

Found an article from Martha Stewart...


How to Find a Modern-Day Pen Pal​


And the one reason you might consider getting a P.O. box.

https://www.marthastewart.com/1538505/how-to-find-pen-pal

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(my comment)

So, because internet is filled with a festival of con men and jerks, what is recommended with a pen pal, is that you only receive mail through a P.O. Box and never give out your home address.

I am guessing it is best to go farther and maybe use an alias. Because, with a real name and a state, it can be reasonably easy to track you down...

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JonSR77 said:
I believe there are some real pen pal programs around still. I recall seeing them as late as the 1990s.

Found an article from Martha Stewart...


How to Find a Modern-Day Pen Pal​


And the one reason you might consider getting a P.O. box.

https://www.marthastewart.com/1538505/how-to-find-pen-pal

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(my comment)

So, because internet is filled with a festival of con men and jerks, what is recommended with a pen pal, is that you only receive mail through a P.O. Box and never give out your home address.

I am guessing it is best to go farther and maybe use an alias. Because, with a real name and a state, it can be reasonably easy to track you down...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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Thing is the internet isn't any more full of con-people and jerks than 3D life is. The internet does give them more tools than they had say 30-40 yrs ago.
 
JonSR77 said:
I believe there are some real pen pal programs around still. I recall seeing them as late as the 1990s.

Found an article from Martha Stewart...


How to Find a Modern-Day Pen Pal​


And the one reason you might consider getting a P.O. box.

https://www.marthastewart.com/1538505/how-to-find-pen-pal

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(my comment)

So, because internet is filled with a festival of con men and jerks, what is recommended with a pen pal, is that you only receive mail through a P.O. Box and never give out your home address.

I am guessing it is best to go farther and maybe use an alias. Because, with a real name and a state, it can be reasonably easy to track you down...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Click to expand...
You are right but it is such a shame that we have to be so wary. :(
 
Never has a 'penpal' in the traditional sense. My voluminous correspondence from age 17 to around 30, was with people i knew in everyday life first but we lived far away back in thosebdays when just the next county might result in long distance phone fees if you didin't time it right.

First, during my senior year of High School, it was.fellow campers from NCCJ camp who came from all over the country. Then it was the handfuk.of High School i was close with who went off to college or special programs, like my best friend who spent a year in Isreal in a work study program out of Temple University.

My other best friend was a year behind us in school, so when i went off to VISTA, she was still back in Jersey. Corresponded with male friends too, but always therw was an existing relationship, and only once or twice were they romantic in nature. (I was akways better at making , picking male friends then romantic partners.)

One of the things i love about the internet is it allows us to communicate with folks from around the globe, and from a variety
of lifestyles, cultures etc. An upside of cyber communications is that response times are quicker and you get to see how they talk to/treat others.

People engaging in various discussions often several different ones daily tend to get comfortable sooner than either 3D world or strictly penpals. If you're observant you can learn to spot those who are phonies or have an 'agenda'.
 
In Junior High, our class chose International pen-pals. Mine was a young man in Japan .. Masashi Mizuno. We corresponded for a few years, then he informed me that he could no longer write to me. I don't know the reason. Perhaps he was betrothed. Unfortunately, I no longer have the one photo he'd sent me, of him riding a horse. I regret that I tossed all old photos of school-mates as well.
 
Trish said:
Not many people seem to write letters now.
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What I have found by using pen and ink, is that it never gets ignored. Letters from officialdom, especially perceived problematic ones, are quickly resolved. One thing that struck me about those sort of letters is they never use the correct greeting, as in: My name and address on the top left, the senders details top right, the letter should then start: Dear Sir. So often it starts with Hi, or Hello and then my first name. However the second letter following my handwritten response, uses my way of addressing a stranger. Always makes me smile.
 
fuzzybuddy said:
I had an email pal, if that counts. She was an Aussie. We sent each other emails for 10 years. Her health problems ended our friendship. While we never met, we intimately knew each other's relatives. Her married daughter was having at least 3 ongoing affairs.
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Makes me think they really should have an Adultery Olympics. Why? I don't know...entertainment value?
 
horseless carriage said:
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What I have found by using pen and ink, is that it never gets ignored. Letters from officialdom, especially perceived problematic ones, are quickly resolved. One thing that struck me about those sort of letters is they never use the correct greeting, as in: My name and address on the top left, the senders details top right, the letter should then start: Dear Sir. So often it starts with Hi, or Hello and then my first name. However the second letter following my handwritten response, uses my way of addressing a stranger. Always makes me smile.
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so, would that formally be called calligraphy? I love calligraphy.
 
Pinky said:
In Junior High, our class chose International pen-pals. Mine was a young man in Japan .. Masashi Mizuno. We corresponded for a few years, then he informed me that he could no longer write to me. I don't know the reason. Perhaps he was betrothed. Unfortunately, I no longer have the one photo he'd sent me, of him riding a horse. I regret that I tossed all old photos of school-mates as well.
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I think I found a photo of him! He moved to Russia...

https://s.abcnews.com/images/International/gy_putin_dc_011718_2x3_992.jpg
 
Yes I have penpals.. they started off as snail mail pals, and one of them still sends the occasional snail mail because she loves the art of writing and buying and sending beautiful notepaper and coloured envelopes...

One is in Parkland Florida ( she's European) .. another is in Devonport, Tasmania Australia ... and a 3rd is in Frederick, Maryland USA
 
I belonged to a pen pal club back in the 80's. I was corresponding with a woman from Singapore whose first name was a lot like mine, a man from India, one from Italy, and a woman in Canada. I loved those thin, blue envelopes; it was so exciting to find them in my mailbox. And it was completely safe, as everyone used the headquarters address. All letters were forwarded to and from there, and no actual addresses were used unless the correspondent wanted to give them out.

However, there were a few people who had to be reported. One guy from India pretended to be interested in prices of things here in the U.S; inquiring about the prices of gasoline, milk, etc. Then he started begging to be allowed to come and live with me so that he could seek citizenship. Another man from Serbia wanted a picture of my breasts. The pen pal headquarters had rules about those things, and I had only to forward the letters to them and those people were banned.

But for the most part I really enjoyed writing and receiving letters from other countries!
 
My wife does. She sponsored a 4 year old girl in Appalachia through our church. I never got involved in all the particulars, but she graduates from high school this June and she has asked my wife to attend, so that she can personally thank her. This is one of the things the sponsorship association doesnā€™t encourage doing. I havenā€™t figured out why, but why wife has her own ideas as to why. I do know they have written to each other since the child was able to print coherent sentences at least twice a month.
 
Pinky said:
In Junior High, our class chose International pen-pals. Mine was a young man in Japan .. Masashi Mizuno. We corresponded for a few years, then he informed me that he could no longer write to me. I don't know the reason. Perhaps he was betrothed. Unfortunately, I no longer have the one photo he'd sent me, of him riding a horse. I regret that I tossed all old photos of school-mates as well.
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When I left home, I also got rid of photos and schoolbooks which I wish I had kept. I guess it's all part of growing up.
 
Grampa Don said:
I have a couple e-mail pen pals. They're old guys like me who found me through my website. I've received a lot of nice e-mails thanks to that site.
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I have had an email pal for several years now. We met on a forum which a friend of mine opened. It was a time when people could easily open small forums, I think my friend's forum only ever had about ten members but, it was fun while it lasted. :)
 

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