There was a time, not so long ago, when I used to await the daily post with a sense of expectation and excitement, wondering what letters it might bring from friends far away. Now, a mere decade or so later, I tend to dread the inevitable tide of junk and bills.

It\'s true, in today\'s world of facebook, emails, and text messages, the humble letter is an inefficient form of communication, but it is still better. Receiving pixels on a screen can never compete with the joy of tearing open and envelope and seeing words lovingly scrawled on a bit of paper.

So why don\'t we send letters anymore? I refuse to believe it is the cost of a stamp. Is it laziness, or is it, perhaps, a form of selfishness? Nobody writes letters to me, so why should I take the time to write anyone else?

So lets stop being selfish. Pick up a pen and write a letter to a friend for the simple reason that they will enjoy receiving it. If you don\'t have anyone to write, you can write to me, here at the office.

Joseph McCullough
Shire Publications
Midland House
West Way
Botley
Oxford
OX2 0PH