In September 1996, I started a hobby that has enriched my life tremendously. My daughter, who was independent studying for her high school education during that time, joined International Penfriends Association to find friends to write to in other lands so that she would learn about different cultures and places while perfecting her writing and communication skills. This proved to be a valuable part of her education that one does not get in most public school systems, and even the best school systems do not allow time for this kind of freedom to expand and explore. She started getting letters from Germany, Netherlands, Russia and other far-off places. I would look at her letters, the photos of her new pals she was writing to, and the stamps her new friends used on the envelopes of their letters. Being interested in anthropology and world cultures, and having a love for people, I wished that I could write to pen pals, too. That was when my daughter showed me that they had a category for various age groups! So, I paid my $20 and joined! It's one of the best things I have ever done in my life.
After sending in my fee, I received a list of twelve names, and my name was also added to lists that were sent to twelve other people. My first penfriends were Myriam from Belgium, Elaine in England, Caroline in Scotland, Rose in Uganda, Susanne in Sweden, Marijo in France, Diane in Wales, Joyce in Australia, Ria in Netherlands, Ruth in Brazil, Shari in Japan and Anne in Norway. More than ten years later I am still writing to Myriam, Elaine, Caroline, Rose, Susanne, Diane, Joyce, Ruth, and Shari! (Susanne and her husband came and stayed with us for a few days in 2005.)
It didn't just stop with those pals. We pass around in our letters to one another what is called "F.B.s" or Friendship Booklets where we put in our address label or write in our name and address and a short list of interests along with our age. These are just little booklets made from post-its or cut pieces of paper. When the Friendship Booklet is full it is sent back to the first person on the list. In the meantime, while they are circulating, we can take names from the booklets of people we would find interesting to write to, or from a country we don't have a pal from yet and write to that person telling a bit about ourselves and ask if they would like to be penfriends. I accumulated 83 pals that way! That was a bit much to keep up with, but eventually some people get bored with the hobby and just stop writing. Three of my penfriends have died. I now have about 43 pals from 24 countries and about 40 of those I have had for eight to ten years. I recently acquired three new pals from South Africa, Netherlands and Norway.
The countries my current pals are from England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Japan, Australia, Canada, Germany, Hungary, South Africa, Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Uganda, Brazil, New Zealand, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Switzerland, Austria, India and Israel. I hear all about their families, their neighbors, their neighborhoods, their politics, weather, likes and dislikes, worries and concerns, loves and interests, foods, television programs, books and authors, artists, where they travel, cultural events and so on. I keep scrapbooks of photos they send me of themselves and their familes and the postcards they send and brochures and interesting articles, etc. Some of us who can afford it exchange birthday and xmas presents and the gifts are usually something from that person's land that is unique and interesting. I especially love when one of my pals in Dorset , England sends me things about Thomas Hardy. And Rose in Uganda sends me brilliantly colored postcards of African tribes and of wild animals that roam near where she lives. My pals in Aussie have sent me wonderful books of the Coral Reef and my Icelandic friends send books and photos of the Aurora Borealis or otherwise known as "the Northern Lights." I could write a book about each one of my penfriends, and maybe one day, I will.
One thing that I have come to learn is that we aren't all that different when you get down to basics. We all want our kids to be happy, we want peace on earth, we just want to live our lives and enjoy the time we have on this planet. Too bad people spend so much time warring and fighting when they could be really learning from each other and enjoying this only life we have.