The Art of Writing

This title reminds me of the poem "One Art" by Elizabeth Bishop. It shows us that "the art of losing isn't hard to master." It is a beautiful poem that I believe I read my sophomore year in high school. After you finish reading my own informal type of art, I hope you go read this poem as a supplement to what I have written today.
"The art of losing isn't hard to master;
so many things seem filled with the intent
to be lost that their loss is no disaster."
The poem quickly progresses from losing small things to losing people. In a sense it is quite depressing but I like it so much because I am very bad at losing people. I do not like to let people go so when I do drift from them I feel a deep sorrow. This is why I try to keep in touch with friends through the art of letter writing. While emails are quick and a great way to stay in touch, I have always preferred real mail. I don't mind that it takes a few days because the joy that you receive along with a piece of paper cannot be replaced. Emails are black and white (well blitz is) whereas my stationary is Wallace & Gromit, Gumby, Cat in the Hat, a pencil with arms and legs, pink toile with Delta Zeta written across the top that I tear off because it was free.
My letter-writing career started with my correspondence with cousins and was then perfected by them too. Now I collect addresses in my black Moleskin book so that should the mood strike, I have many people to choose from. If you have never received a letter from me, it is most likely just because I do not have your address. Send it to me and I will then send you a letter.
It is too easy to lose people. Although I realize that I have not been in too many situations where I can lose people, I know that I as get older I will find myself in more and more of them. I have already lost friends from North, Nueva, Sacred Heart, and Dartmouth (those who have graduated). I cannot claim that I grieve all of the losses but it still saddens me. I sometimes wonder what happened to a few of those people. I was talking with Bonnie a while ago and we established that we both wondered where life had taken some people. The thing is we are not curious about the average, nice, smiley people. Instead we question what has happened to the people who seemed destined to crash and burn (eg. people who think that wheat is a mineral) and the people who were smart beyond all belief. They should have the interesting lives.
It also makes me sad that people LET it be easy to lose one another. I am determined to not allow that! I consider letter writing to be an art simply for the fact that so few people do it nowadays. People sometimes send birthday cards or thank you notes, but very rarely does one just send a letter to say hello and inform people of what one is up to. Because this is exactly what I do, I must claim that I am practiced in this art.
This post is not only to brag about my letter-writing skills, which sadly cannot be placed on a resume under the "other skills/activities" section, or to introduce you to a brilliant poem. It is instead a lament for the plight of written correspondence and the true skill of losing friends. At least I know that writing letters will not die due to any lack of effort on my part, and no true friend shall go forgotten while I still have fingers, pen and paper to write.