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Wednesday, April 3, 2024

C is for Communication, 70s Style

 

#AtoZChallenge 2024 letter C

I am in the process of sorting through everything in my parents' home, and in so doing, I have been looking through all my childhood memorabilia, the majority of which I hadn't seen since my parents packed up my belongings and moved them from the home I grew up in to this house some 45 years ago. My 2024 A to Z Challenge theme is based on the treasures I have found in the boxes and the drawers and closets. Join me on my bittersweet journey back to my childhood.

When my kids were in high school and there was a bit of gossip to be shared, it would be all over the school within seconds. Ever watched a teenager send a text message? They are lightning fast! 

When I was in high school, we disseminated information this way:



Notes.  We wrote notes to each other.

Was it fast? Not particularly. Depending on the class or the teacher, you might have to write it surreptitiously, your piece of notebook paper slid under your classwork or inside a book. (There was always THAT teacher who took tremendous joy in confiscating notes and reading them to the class, but most of them really didn't care; they were just glad we showed up.) Then, unless the recipient was in the same class as you, you either had to entrust someone to deliver your note for you or pass it to them in the hallway while changing classes. 

I found boxes and bags of notes in the back of the closet last weekend. We are talking HUNDREDS of notes, and I kick myself for throwing most of them away before getting a picture of all of them, but I did open and read every one of them.

My best friend and I were voracious note writers, and the majority of the ones in my closet were from her (more about Jane in an upcoming post). We wrote about what boys we liked (usually unrequited), the antics of classmates, upcoming plans together, and how boring class was. We had our own shorthand for extracurricular activities that may or may not have been legal and used initials and nicknames, some so obscure I couldn't remember who we were referring to at the time. 

At the risk of sounding really old, I will go on record as saying that, while instant communication definitely has its advantages, the time it took to write and pass a note more often than not kept angry or hurtful words from being delivered to someone in the heat of a moment. The repercussions of hitting "send" on a text are far reaching; the information included in the notes I received from my friends ended in a box in the back of my closet.


15 comments:

  1. Wow! What a record of your high school years. I'm sure I didn't pass one single note. I didn't have a exciting high school life either. Could not wait for it to be over.

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    1. We were really pretty boring, but we sure wrote a lot of notes about it!

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  2. Hi Dyanne - oh my goodness, I'm in the box with you. What a A-S journey this will be.(I caught up with A and B) I am guessing we are of the same vintage. I too have come across notes from my youth and you are so right about the "repercussions of hitting send" when texting compared to the time and thought needed to put pen to paper. Ah, those were the days.

    I hope your discoveries bring much joy and happiness, Jenny @ Pearson Report

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    1. Texting is great, and I don't think I could live without it, but oof! that sender's regret!

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  3. Nowadays, the kids probably wouldn't be able to read your notes, because they are written in a beautiful cursive script. What a trip down memory lane you're having!

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    1. You're right about the cursive! And I could pick up a note without opening it and know immediately who gave it to me by the handwriting, even after all these years!

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  4. The notes were not fast but they sure were fun to read! Brings back good memories

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  5. I wish there was a 'like' button because I wanted to 'like' this but didn't have a comment :D

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    1. Thanks for telling me you liked it! I don't even know how to add a "like" button!

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  6. Things are so different now, you're right about the instant repercussions of instant communication. Writing notes was much better, and cathartic if needed as you didn't have to pass it along.

    I seldom had a note to pass, and none remain.

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    1. I also kept journals in spiral notebooks (four per year) that began when I was in 9th grade until I met my now husband, so 17 years. I destroyed them all when I got married!

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  7. Nostalgia! Your post brought me a load of that. Do check out my blog here: https://www.sundarivenkatraman.in/

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  8. Undoubtedly, written notes have their own charm. I have a British friend, who is in 75, and doesn't have an email ID. We both write letters to each other.

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