What to do with Postcards

I didn't realize how different postcards were from letter writing until I tried to write one to a stranger. No introductions. No elaboration. No ability to expound on a thought. There just isn't room. It really makes you think about what you would most want to say to another human being as you throw a Hail Mary out into the universe. The trick is to say that, and only that.

I'm fascinated by that, so I sat down to figure out where to go to have that experience these days. Here's what I found:

PostSecret

One of the granddaddies of the the Old Internet. PostSecret is a blog of anonymous postcards sent to Frank Warren. People having been using it now as a confessional for all kinds of secrets they've never told anyone. I remember sending in a couple many years ago related to my father's death.

Secrets can be both exhilarating and toxic. When you have a secret you don't want to keep anymore, PostSecret is a really good way to set it free.

PostCrossing

Imagine you could send a postcard anywhere in the world, and receive them back from equally remote places. That's what PostCrossing does. Write your postcards, put your registration number on it that the website generates, and send it off in the mail. When the person at the other end receives it, they register it on the website. The more postcards you send, the more you'll receive in return.

Send them to Yourself

Why wait for someone else to send you a postcard, or try to decide who would appreciate the ones you just bought on your vacation? Send yourself a postcard. A useful reminder of what you need to remember to do when you get home. Your favorite memory from your trip. An affirmation you might really need to hear later.

Send yourself the postcard you wish someone would send you. You deserve it.