Day 22 of 365 new ways to a new you. Congratulations, you have made it this far. Today is the first day of the rest of your life. Are you ready for tomorrow? This is part of a series that is going to span 365 days. Some things will be subtle other activities will be more involved. At the end of the 365 days even if you do only 20 of these things you will be a new person, for better or for worse.
Before I begin with day twenty two, I must defer you to our Terms and Conditions .
People love getting mail, especially letters. When was the las time you got a handwritten letter from someone? A very long time ago no doubt. What if you got a letter from someone you never knew or did you?
Day 22: Write a letter to someone you don’t know
Open up a phone book and pick someone at random. If the address is not there, do a reverse look up with their phone number on the yellow pages. Now that we have the address and name; spend a moment or two trying to get a feel for what type of person they might be.
After we have an idea of who they are, begin your letter. The letter must not be offensive, it should be more of a long lost friend letter or old lover. Spend a good amount of time on the letter and make sure it is at least a page in length. When you are done put the letter in the envelope, put their address on it. Leave your address off. Stamp and mail it.
Imagine for a moment that you are the individual that will receive the letter. One day out of the blue you get this fascinating love letter. Was this for me? Is this someone else’s letter? It can’t be for me. Oh, who sent this. The goal is to pull someone else out of their daily cycle and cause a bit of interruption in their daily routine. Nothing harmful just some retrospection.
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Ashlar said
Where’s the goal if I don’t get a feedback of the other person’s thoughts? I think it might be appropriate to include a return address…OR…at least to send it to someone you know but not very close, perhaps you’ll notice a behavioral change??
JackDirt said
Not knowing the feedback is part of the intrinsic value to sending a letter. You know what your reaction may be like therefore you can judge theirs. The idea is not to evoke emotion in yourself but to evoke it in someone else. By remaining an uninvolved party you ensure genuine reaction. The goal for the sender is to write a letter nothing more. Sometimes the act is the reward.
However if you do feel the need to leave a return address, go right ahead. This could lead to its own reward and other interactions. But it removes a bit of the mystique and awe from the person receiving the letter.