Dear @manspeterson,

Your words about how communication used to be paced really struck a chord with me. I remember mom telling me about how she used to write long letters to her friends in other places. Sometimes she would get a response a couple of days later, but more often than not it took weeks or even months. And, that was the beauty of it.

There was no expectations of a quick reply, but instead some kind of unstated understanding that physical distance comes with an arbitrary delay in response time. Just like how all the silence in between make music, music, I'm certain that this delay had a profound impact on how they communicated. And also helped strengthen their bond over time and space.

It's easy to say that internet, and fast social media, has brought us closer to people in other places. At a surface level, I agree. It's gratifying watching my friends' Instagram stories. And occasionally, FaceTime and instant messaging give me the illusion of being in the same room as them.

But still, I find myself not writing my long distance friends as often as I would like to. Because, nowadays we are somehow expected to respond immediately. And there are read receipts, writing indicators and notifications, constantly obstructing the flow. It easier to just hit like.

Maybe I should start writing my friends physical letters? But, what about a slow messaging service? Much like slo-th.network – but private. And instead of a day's delay, messages will be delivered in an unknown time? Could be days, or even weeks? Would that remove all those expectations? And maybe bring back the same joy and depth that my mom experienced during her youth?

Sincerely yours,
@ninojje