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Feb 18, 2003 I must admit that there is something pretty special about an e-card. While I don’t expect people to remember everything just because I do, it is nice to get an occasional “thinking about you card” to make your day a little brighter. I am not picky, but if they are colorful and play music, I am pretty much smiling, like the Cheshire cat. My all time favorite cards are the ones that are interactive, bringing you into this mini world of fun and laughter, for just a few seconds of the day. I used to love sending out cards in the postal mail, but too often I didn’t get to the stores until days later than planned and by the time I remembered where I put the teeny tiny little stamp booklet, it was the weekend and the card wouldn’t be getting there on time no matter what I did. Sending cards was my way of saying, “hey I am thinking of you” or “missing you” without having to go all out and write a letter, but wanting to send something to let someone know I acknowledged their very existence. When a friend was sick I knew the best way to cheer her up was to buy a humorous card and sign it with my name and all kinds of funny quotes we used with each other. I too enjoyed receiving cards, especially Christmas cards because I liked decorating my closet doors with them and keeping a small mental note to myself who actually remembered me and who I wasted a stamp on that year. Now as I am getting older, sending cards has become a lost art. In fact writing letters has as well, but let’s not get into that I will save that for another time. While I still think of everyone, I don’t seem to express it they way I should or the way they think I should. Aside from the fact that cards add up quickly and they cost a pretty penny, I just don’t get out that much to shop for them. In fact, my biggest reason for not buying a card is usually due to a large burly Amazon woman with three kids and a huge shopping cart blocking the one whole section that I need to look at. If I am going to pick out something to send I prefer to read it through and see if it sounds right. Once I did make the mistake of sending a card to a friend whose birthday I missed, but because I didn’t take the time to read it properly, I sent her a card that said grandma on the inside. Someone placed it in the wrong area and all I saw was “birthday” and pretty flowers and sparkles on the card. So of course I covered it up and said it was a joke and thought she would get a kick out of it and was referring to the fact she was getting older. Turns out she did laugh about it after some major coaxing and I got away with it. In case she is reading this, I better get online and search for one of those “I was just joking about when I was joking” cards. By far the sweetest cards I have been given have been e-cards. They are packed with goodies and are as good as a present sometimes. I can spend hours looking for the right one to send someone. I play the games and listen to the music, and always look for the ones that make me bust up laughing. My only complaint these days with e-cards is the sites you now have to become a member with and pay for. Even browsing through the free ones, I know good and well the better ones are now secured in the “member’s only” area. It kind of makes me want to send that company a pretty colorful card and I don’t mean crayon colorful either. I realize that everyone needs to make a profit here and there, but it did start out free and lured me in and now I have become rather spoiled. I also like that I can send a card to ten different people, saving me time at work. Well of course at work, you don’t think I would do this at home do you? Of course not! My time is valuable and I need to get paid to do something important for myself! While there are times a nice paper card is special, say Valentine’s Day or my birthday, I do prefer the e-cards. They save the environment by saving paper, makes less waste, and now I don’t have to store boxes and boxes filled to the rim with cards given to me since the day I was born. It is nice to have a memento to hold on to, but too much of anything can lead to disaster. When you have been busy and working all week and in the back of your mind there is a voice nagging at you to remember something and then as you lay down that night it hits you, tomorrow is a friends birthday, you can still log on, pick and send a card, and feel good about yourself and sleep well. Speaking of feeling good about myself, I really do need to get online and search for a card for my friend. In fact, I think I will send two! Email Nancy Jackson: coryann93@yahoo.com ------------ Comment on this column in the forum. ------------ |
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