When I read what Postcrossing.com had to offer, after seeing a post on Facebook by Aditi De, I thought it would be interesting to see how this works. Sign up and get a random Postcrossing member’s address to send a handwritten postcard. It looked interesting enough because members are from all over the world, and the interaction is limited to sending that one card. No compulsion to become “friends”, get on people’s lists, into groups and other social platform “pressures”.
I signed up, wrote a brief note about my interests in the bio, and got my first recipient. in Utah. I sent off a postcard. 30 days later, my Postcrossing inbox has a thank you note from her, along with a line saying she noticed I hadn’t received any cards yet. Would I like one, please share the address. Now that’s taking a bit of extra effort, I thought. And sent off my address.
My bio says, look at all the interesting stuff that’s happening in science, I’m a big sci fi buff, and wouldn’t it be lovely to get a card from the moon? I had also mentioned the genres of movies that I love.
A few more days go by. And I get these in my mailbox.
That’s a commemorative stamp of the moon landing, she put on the postcard.
It is possible to connect with people whose existence you know nothing about. And share a personal memory. It is possible to think about those living miles away, across oceans, and reach out to them momentarily. To feel we are part of the same rock, floating in space. Boundaries are political. Connections have no boundaries.
Just this action of a human reading through, making a bit of an effort, and communicating spoke volumes about how we do not have to narrow our ideas about culture and country.
I can’t wait to continue to reach out, and be reached. I can’t also wait to build back my collection of stamps. My childhood collection is lost. But it’s not too late to start again. And to introduce this to my kids.
Discovered that our very own India Post has a philately club which you can join to receive all special issue stamps. Cool.
A fleeting glimpse 