…And Andrew from Hertfordshire!
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So what on earth does that mean?!
Well, do you remember your safe haven bedroom as a teen? Mine was the attic in our house. I loved it so!
I did the typical teen thing by spending a lot of time in there. It was such a beautiful, cosy little space, overlooking our back garden. All I had in it was my double bed, a wardrobe and a chair.
In there I spent many hours journaling…many hours sitting on the floor while bashing away at my fictional works of art on my typewriter (Yes, I had one!)
Many hours reading library books by different authors – many hours writing letters to pen pals from near and far, and reading theirs.
Reading…
Reading
Have you ever read an exciting or intriguing story and felt transported into the pages? You’re caught up in all the emotions of the characters and the situations they’re in.
The book is usually far more involved than the film or TV version of it and you really feel like you have actually lived the experience!
That’s why I tried to stick to feel-good, happy-ending books. Of course you don’t always know when you’re going to be left feeling blah, because you don’t know the ending.
I once read a book that actually made me feel somewhat traumatised for days!
Back then I enjoyed fiction by John Wainwright, Ray Bradbury, Agatha Christie, George Orwell, to name a few.
I even ventured to Mills and Boons publications. Yes, I went there!
So as I got older I started to read more non-fiction, inspirational material, particularly of Christian genre. That remains true for today. I find this very useful in navigating my way successfully through this life.
…Writing…
Dear Andrew…
One pen pal I remember very well was Andrew from Hertfordshire who was 19 when I was 16. It was always a joy to hear from him.
Writing
I must confess, I had no idea at the time where Hertfordshire was, even though it’s not far from London. Geography at the time was not my strong point. Even at school I disliked the subject.
I sometimes wonder what happened to Andrew. I can’t remember why we stopped writing to each other.
He would send me birthday cards which I was always delighted to receive. He said he had some friends who proved not to be real friends. We talked about all sorts of things.
I wonder if we would have done that face to face. Sometimes it’s so much easier to articulate ourselves in writing. It’s also easier to write some things on a cold piece of paper than to actually say it to the other person.
Nowadays of course it’s all about instant chats online, which naturally is a good thing. No more sending or waiting around for snail mail that may or may not arrive.
Yet, there was something special and very personal about receiving surprise mail dropped through the letter box.
These days it’s a pleasant novelty to get a physical birthday card in the post rather than messages on social media. It’s something tangible that can be kept as a keepsake.
It was exciting to write letters on fancy notepaper with an expensive pen and enclose them in fancy envelopes.
Think about how much we can make someone’s day when we take time out especially for them!
A letter in the post might just do it.
So You Wanna Be a Writer
Writing my own poetry was also a favourite pastime. Plus journaling about my opinions on different topics and keeping a diary of interesting happenings of the day.
No wonder I started a blog!
Putting things on paper can be therapeutic too.
You get to see your thoughts organised before you rather than jumbled in your head.
It provides clarity and a means to make sense of how you feel. So go ahead and write a letter to yourself!
Don’t stop there though. Now it’s time to work out those solutions. Write them down...
“Write the vision and make it plain.” (Habakkuk 2:2)
…And Rhythm!
As teenagers, music was one of the topics Andrew and I discussed.
We all know how therapeutic music is. It has the power to change our mood and the atmosphere. Choose it wisely because when we’re relaxed and feeling positive we are more inspired to make the right choices.
I would discourage listening to ugly lyrics but that’s for you to discern.
I used to say I like all kinds of music except for heavy metal and country. That largely remains true. My favourite is reggae but is not limited to this beat alone.
In my 20s I listened to a lot of old 1950s tunes, which were kind of making a come back in the 1970s.
Back in the day it was all about vinyl records and record players as well as the radio. I had a large record collection. I remember Andrew telling me he didn’t buy 7-inch records as the albums were better value.
I also had a date with the radio every Sunday when I was doing all the ironing for the family in my parents’ bedroom.
I made sure I never missed the Top 40 and occasionally tried to record some of the songs. The trick was to try and cut off the DJ talking. Sometimes the DJ would spoil it anyway either by talking all over the song or cutting it short.
The struggle was then to keep the cassette tape from tangling. Those were the days!
I’ll always remember at age 16 winning a “various artists” album off the radio for ringing in the station and answering a question correctly. I was so proud of myself! It was such a thrill to hear my name read out on the radio as well.
Nowadays we have the freedom of easily tapping into the music and taking it with us wherever we go. Gone are the days of being tied to the record player in the living room.
Go on, write that letter. Find your happy corner today and get lost in the music of life!
Do you still write letters? Let me know in the comments below!
