Friday, February 20, 2009

A wonderful Poet-Blogger that I follow posted a poem today about the lost art of handwritten letters. (I will include the link to his blog at the end of the post). It brought to mind this photo taken while attending a class at Harvard.

In the interconnected world that we live in today even to the extreme where we now have our email follow us through a little box attached to our hips, the "ride board" is still a mainstay at our college campuses. Electronic surveillance be damned, the postings still abound. On a 4ft by 3 ft square of cork lives the hopes, dreams and needs of our students looking for that connection. It may be a ride home, the chance to make some money by taking part in a psyche or medical experiment, a job, a chance to learn a new language or a political statement. The ride board remains a gathering place...a point of connection. Still using the time honored method of the tear off at the bottom with a phone number. The most telling aspect of this photo is when you view the larger picture, you will see hundreds of staples and bits of past postings that once took their place on this valuable real estate.

As the Poet-Blogger said so eloquently in so many words...Hard Copy, actually touched by a human hand is so refreshing in today's world.

His site: http://jcosmonewbery2.blogspot.com

10 comments:

J Cosmo Newbery said...

Thanks Dan, all recognition is good. From a word person and photographer like you, more so.

♺ All words used in this comment may be recycled. ♺

Dan Felstead said...

You are most welcomed!

Dan

Heather said...

Amen to the last line there, Dan - so true. I commented J Cosmo on his posting as well. It reminds us to remain a little "old fashioned" because it truly does matter :o).

Great post!

Lynda Lehmann said...

I agree! There is such a paradox in the fact of our connection through electronic media. We are at once brought closer together, from all around the world, yet "impersonalized" in the process.

I remember well those community bulletin boards at Penn State, though we didn't call them specifically "ride boards."

In college, I think what we were mostly looking for, was our SELVES!

Dan Felstead said...

Heather,
I will have to admit that I had not thought about a handwritten letter and how great it was to receive one in the mail with the anticipation of opening that envelope to explore within for years...J's poem sort of yanked me back to reality again!

Dan

Dan Felstead said...

Lynda Lynda Lynda
Your statement...In college, I think what we were mostly looking for, was our SELVES!...captures my thoughts for the picture so much better than I. Now that you mention it...I looked for myself on those boards and never found myself! Although in my college years from 68 to 72...I think everyone was lost and searching so I guess i wasn't alone!

Dan

Indrayani said...

Yeah..I liked that poem too!!

For blue skies. said...

I've hand written letters.
Its sending them that's difficult for me.

Dan Felstead said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Dan Felstead said...

For Blue Skies...
Actually as I look back...I have a couple of letters that I wrote and never sent...I probably should have. Also, the photo on childhood at PPP that you comment on at your blog was very inspiring to me as well. It prompted the longest post I have ever made!