small talk and mail art

Sometimes we disregard the importance of small talk, look down on it as trivial.  But is it?  I just read a post by Felice Cohen, who gives a great example of small talk lightening the mood.  People who are good at small talk are a blessing for introverts (like me) who often stand rigid and uncomfortable in a crowded room.  A really good small-talker can take the tension out of a situation, leading the way to the discovery of common interests.  It doesn't have to earth-shaking to make a conversation fun and interesting.

Letters are mostly small talk; written conversations that don't go into depth about philosophical, controversial, or specialized topics.  They can cover everything from daily chores, to books you've read or films you've seen, to funny incidents in the line at the grocery store, to what's happening in the garden (the tomatoes are ripe or the milkweed is blooming, look out for Monarchs!).  

If nothing else, there is always the weather, which is always good or bad, expected or unexpected.

Conversations don't have to be profound and neither do letters. Letters don't need to be essays about art, culture, customs, science, or politics, etc.  That doesn't mean that important or intriguing topics don't come up in one way or another; they may be touched on without being dissected.  

Sometimes a comment in a letter will create a great deal of "post-thought" for me, and I love it when someone writes something that makes me curious, makes me think, causes me to consider a different perspective, gives me a subject to research and ponder.

Postcards are the epitome of small talk.  Small talk made even smaller, more concise, a few lines only--crisp little "thinking of you" messages.  

Outgoing Postcards

and letters

 

Happy Easter!

Hope you gather some gorgeous

eggs in your baskets!