Pen Pals

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  • #1400919
    Joseph
    Participant

    When I was a kid, children had pen pals. Do kids today still do this? Did you have a pen pal? Do you still have those letters? What did you write to each other about? How often did you write and how many pen pals did you have? How far away from each other did you live? And how’d you find your pen pal?

    Do adults have pen pals?

    #1400926
    zaltzvasser
    Participant

    Most kids wish they had pen pals, and some schools actually set the kids up with pen pals to help them practice writing in a fun way.
    Yes, adults have pen pals… they just call it the coffee room (or whatever else)

    #1420632
    Lightbrite
    Participant

    In first grade, every student was assigned a penpal from another school.

    We met our penpal at the end of the year at a skating rink.

    My best friend had a unisex name, and she was matched with a boy who thought that she 3as a boy too. The whole time, my friend didn’t want to say anything to disappoint him. So, on that penpal meeting day, she dressed up like a boy and talked in a different voice. I don’t remember how it ended.

    #1420655
    Ex-CTLawyer
    Participant

    Joseph.
    Yes I had pen-pals as a child. In third grade we were assigned pen-pals in Jewish communities around the world. Each year through 6th grade an additional pen-pal was added to our list. We were expected to write a monthly letter to each pen-pal, so by 6th grade that worked out to a letter per week. My mother would take me to the post office to purchase Aerogrammes on which to write.
    I had pen-pals in Israel, South Africa, Canada(Montreal) and Uruguay. I continued correspondence on a regular basis through my Junior High years.
    In the summer of 1962 I met my Israeli pen-pal during a family trip to EY. We have remained friends for 55 years and have shared family simchas. Our grandaughters went to summer camp together 2 years ago.
    I met my pen-pal from Montreal in Miami Beach in the 1970s when we were both vacationing there. He left Montreal during the anti-English blitz of the early 80s and I lost track of him.
    I was in South Africa for much of the late 1970s and met my former pen-pal and his extended family. My newest son-in-law is a cousin’s child.
    The pen-pal in Uruguay was the shortest duration, ending in 7th grade. I never met him and have no idea where he ended up. While visiting Uruguay I was unable to trace the family.

    My eldest children had pen-pals, my youngest were of the email generation and not interested. My grandchildren seldom pick up a pen except for in school or obligatory handwritten thank you notes. They have no interest in pen-pals.

    When we broke up my parents’ CT home we found shoe boxes full of aerogrammes saved from our assorted pen-pals. One long summer Shabbos afternoon I enjoyed reliving my letters.

    #1440999

    I have met e-pals online. It’s hard nowadays cuz there’s so much dangers. I’ve actually had a few e-pals from the CR, that I met on other websites and we recognized each other’s writing style.

    Unfortunately I’m not in touch with any now. In total I’ve had 5 or 6, 3 of which I was good friends with on the CR. But those users aren’t active right now on the CR in case you are wondering who they are…

    #1441060
    Joseph
    Participant

    I’ve met a couple guys who comment here on YWN.

    #1441176
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    Have you ever tried to bring someone here from the real world?

    #1441225

    Streekgeek!!! OMG, did you really see what I wrote and decide to chime in? I’m going to bed like right now so I may not see your reply till tomorrow…..

    #1441219
    streekgeek
    Participant

    I loved having pen pals. I was a kid in the 90’s, and loved looking at the Olomeinu’s pen pal column to see if there was another girl there my age.

    I doubt any publication would put out a column like that these days… safety and all…

    I’ve had a few e-pals too. One from the CR who I’m not in touch with anymore. But she’s still active on here so…

    #1441468

    @RedYidd23 I have brought people to the CR from the real world, an example of which is my brother who doesn’t really post anymore, but I know he lurks even if he won’t admit it to me. But he is in yeshivah mostly so he doesn’t get much internet access. His username is Prankster123.

    I also know of a friend who lurks here a lot, when I asked her why she doesn’t make a username she claimed she’d be here all day posting…so there you go.

    #1441484
    👑RebYidd23
    Participant

    We need people here all day posting. Shopping613’s friend, I challenge you to create a username and start posting.

    #1441486
    Geordie613
    Participant

    Growing up in South Africa in the 80s we used to see the pen pal columns in the Olomeinu, but my parents didn’t let us write to anyone unless we wrote to our cousins in Gateshead first. Much less exciting.

    #1441725

    @RebYidd23, my friend has read your challenge and challenges you to convince her to create a username.

    #1441909
    streekgeek
    Participant

    Streekgeek!!! OMG, did you really see what I wrote and decide to chime in? I’m going to bed like right now so I may not see your reply till tomorrow…..

    Of course! It’s always nice hearing (all right, seeing) your voice.

    I’m a big time lurker here. I don’t have time for the big conversations, but I keep up with the chit chat.

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