I mailed a thank-you note today.
I am disproportionately impressed with myself.
I live life by a double standard. I am an absolutely impeccable student (and, as it turns out, a decent director too). I dot every i, cross every t, and everything I turn in is on time and of admirable quality. The perfectionist in me shines.
And yet my bed is unmade, packages to friends sit around unsent, teacups lollygag about on my desk until we don't have any more left in the cupboard, and I lose my remote control on a daily basis. I'm a mess.
Thank-you notes fall into the second category. It's a lot of work to mail a thank you note! You have to:
1. have a great experience
2. decide to thank someone for it
3. buy or create the perfect card
4. fill out the card with appropriate and sincere words of gratitude
5. put the card in the envelope
6. seal the envelope
7. search for the address
8. transfer the address to the envelope
9. weigh the letter
10. check the postal chart to see which amount of postage is necessary
11. purchase the postage
12. affix the postage
13. walk to the mailbox
14. and drop the thing in.
I am very good and 1. and 2. Sometimes I manage 3. in spurts of creativity or efficiency. I occasionally get as far as 4. But the rest... my goodness, there are just so many cracks to fall through! My master's degree was easier than this. Navigating the German university system was easier than this. Understanding Bavarian was easier than this.
And yet... I did it! Go me. Maybe I am really getting into this grown-up thing. :-)
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
Why thank you!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
THANK you! I constantly feel guilty as hell for how late my thank you letters are (or sometimes appallingly non existent). I was brought up with a very strict regime and know all to well how rude it is not to be diligent but I just... I just somehow seem to find it so difficult!
I so stink at thank you notes that I have actually told family and friends I don't need them from them when I give a gift. I know many people dread doing them like I do. It makes you wonder why we all feel compelled. I would much rather do something nice in return rather than write a note. This past year I got married, graduated from college, and had a baby. Between Christmas cards, announcements, invitations and thank-you's I am so burnt out! And since Anna was born I don't think I have written ANY. Now I can't remember whom I wrote them to and whom I haven't.
Thank YOU for touching on this subject. I think we whom are not thank you savy suffer tremendous guilt in this area.
Z
Jen -
pppfffftttt I think I've sent 3 thank you letters my whole life. Ridiculous. I really should do this though. . . but you make it seem so difficult, I don't know if I can be arsed.
Post a Comment