A Guest Post by Laura: On #PostCircle

My name is Laura, and I run a Tumblr crafting and lifestyle blog called LaLau Land.  I had the great pleasure of joining #PostCircle several weeks back, and have enjoyed it immensely ever since.  It’s taken me back to a time when I wrote to family and friends, and received replies.  We were taught this was common courtesy -- that it was rude not to reply.  But then came the Internet and its illustrious email.  People seemed to have lost their letter-writing etiquette and eventually, forgot to write at all.  This bothers me -- because it’s communication, and thus affects every aspect of life.  Communication is no longer as meaningful as it once was.

“I fear the day that technology will surpass our human interaction.  The world will have a generation of idiots.” -- Albert Einstein

After months of arguing with myself over my network and social outlook, I happened to read Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People.  I enjoyed it, and was reminded of something important which I’d ignored.  Invest in others and they will invest in you.  You may wonder how I could have forgotten something so simplistic.  Like all of us, I’ve been hurt before; so I inevitably slammed shut some doors and windows of my life.

I committed to open myself up to letter-writing again, but had no idea where to begin.  The most challenging parts of modern day snail-mail are knowing who to write and what to say.  There’s also the big question: If I spend time and effort and mail it, will anyone actually reply?  I started by posting on Facebook that I was looking for penpals.  I don’t think people took me seriously at first.  There were also a few close friends whose addresses I outright requested, and received - few questions asked.

As I researched and learned more about the benefits of networking, I realized that the best way to network is be a friend.  To talk, discuss, share life in general. Relationships are not about business or money for me.  I have a shop, and I hope to make money from it.  But ultimately, I want to make people smile.  To know their passions, what excites them.  The rest will fall into place gradually as people take a personal interest in me based solely on what I invest into their lives.

In the short time I’ve been a part of #PostCircle, I’ve received several personal compliments on my blog, crafts, and ideas.  These comments were posted not to my blog or Etsy shop, but to my mailing address.  The letters my #PostCircle group have sent are now treasured possessions carefully compiled into a paper book of memories.  I hope I’m never parted from all the reasons I’ve learned to love people, but I trust that I’m making friends that will last a lifetime.  And I’m doing it through the mail.

Thank you for reading.  Do you have a story about how sending and receiving mail changed your life for the better?  I’d love to read it in the comments below. ~_<3  Also, thank you to Anna, Beatrix and the Miss-Beatrix readers for having me as a guest here at Miss-Beatrix.  I’ve sincerely enjoyed the opportunity.

With love,

Laura