Sending letters to "penpals" is an age-old tradition that many of us are familiar with. Such letters can be sent to correspondents halfway across the country or halfway across the world, and can allow one to build friendships, learn about different cultures or even learn a new language.
Some people got their first exposure to the concept of penpals as students in grammar school, when they would write to students of a similar age in a different country. They enjoyed getting responses with those exotic postage stamps on them and to learn of a life quite different from their own.
I personally remember finding a note tied to a broken balloon in the street asking me to reply to the address that was attached, which I did. Although I never got a response myself, I'm sure that the recipient was excited to learn that their balloon was found by someone.
Today there is no need to wait for "snail mail" (or for a balloon with a message attached). Fast and efficient e-mail may deprive us of the sheer visceral excitement of getting a physical message from someone, but it can still be exciting in its own way and it is certainly more efficient than the old methods.
Today, the term penpal is being replaced by e-pal (email pal), and the new technology carries the ability to send photos and videos along with text.
The old reasons for having a penpal remain. Children can learn in an exciting way of a culture and lifestyle that is quite different from their own. Those who are learning a new language can accelerate the process by communicating with someone who already speaks that language.
For a lot of people, modern electronic communication is even more intimate than the old methods. It allows people to form long-term relationships and share with each other in friendship and understanding. It can even lead to finding that special someone, one's life partner.
Some people find their life partner through an online dating service or other social network, and many see it as an end in itself, rather than as a means to an end. In other words, they enjoy corresponding with someone without feeling an obligation to ever meet face-to-face.
Relationships, whether they are up close and personal or long-distance, play a tremendously important role in our lives, and having an e-pal can be an important part of this. Today, there are so many options open to us that meeting people virtually is easier than ever before.
Online dating sites or social networking sites can be found today in abundance, and the best sites will allow you to filter correspondence by interest, location, age and many other criteria. If you wish to interact with someone in a fun and low-pressure way, why not give it a try? You have nothing to lose and a possible friendship to gain.
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