Pen partners (or “pen pals”) are something that probably reminds you of your earlier days. Elementary & middle schools often implemented pen pal systems between schools, designed to help students improve their writing/reading skills, either in their native tongue or a foreign one.
These assignments rarely led to anything, though; often, students would stop writing to each other after the class was done. While it’s true that most people stopped having pen partners after grade school, having one can still be a valuable asset as an adult. How so? Let’s find out!
Loneliness is Challenging
Most adults will suffer from loneliness at some point in their lives. While the simple solution may seem to be surrounding yourself with friends and family, it’s also possible to feel “alone in a crowded room.” This indicates that the issue isn’t the people—it’s the connections! Fortunately, although it might be hard (or nearly impossible) to form the bonds you need at the moment with the people who surround you, it’s possible to form these connections easily with a stranger on online dating sites. You can also form these bonds with an online pen pal in a chat service! The process may not be as intimate as when you exchange letters, but finding someone to type long messages to is a pleasant experience overall.
You Can Share Your Story
Whether you’re suffering from depression or in perfect mental health, people often enjoy sharing their lives & experiences. Of course, we each have a unique perspective on life, and there are some things you just can’t say to someone who’s personally involved in the situation. This isn’t a problem with a pen pal; they live far away, so you can be completely honest with them without fear of repercussions! Having a pen pal allows you to express yourself safely and honestly, which does wonders for your mental health while also providing your pen partner with an interesting read. Everything from your deepest heart’s desires to the latest gossip can be easily added to your next letter!
Learn About Other Places
Of course, having a pen partner isn’t a one-way street: they’ll also be sharing their story with you! This is great because you get to form a personal relationship with the person writing you letters, learning more about their situation, struggles, achievements, and goals. Beyond that, there are also many cultural aspects you might be able to learn as well (especially if your pen pal lives in a different country). These could be as trivial as the cultural significance of hugging in their country or as complex as the political landscape of their homeland. Sending letters via mail allows you to send physical photos to each other as well, which are of far better quality than the pictures sent through online dating sites or Facebook. You can even share small items, educating while providing (and receiving) gifts!
Romantic Potential
It may be a bit unlikely in this day and age, but it’s entirely possible to meet your soul mate via the mail! Of course, two pen partners will need to develop a strong sense of trust & openness in their relationship before romance is even something that can be brought up. Still, once you’ve been writing to each other for a long time, if the attraction is there, it’s likely to appear!
While non-conventional, there are a lot of advantages to forming a romantic relationship with your pen partner. For starters, it’s a far better “how we met” story than “a mutual friend introduced us.” Being separated by distance in itself is romantic since you two will want to meet at some point in the future. This can add a lot of passion to the relationship itself, a passion that is absent when both partners live in the same town. Each letter will hold a lot more meaning than a simple text, making the relationship more like a modern-day fairytale!
Lifelong Friendships
As we mentioned above, many pen pals don’t last beyond school. However, if you and your pen partner are committed to friendship, it’s certainly possible to take the relationship far past the time frame of education. Many long-lasting friendships have started by writing letters! Assuming you stay in contact, there will be plenty of chances to visit each other, take a vacation together, & perhaps even attend each other’s weddings!
Putting Pen to Paper
Sadly, the internet is quickly doing away with the enjoyable pastime of writing to pen partners. Children in the future may never know the happiness that these unique, long-distance relationships can bring, but fortunately, we haven’t devolved to that stage yet. Help keep this tradition alive, enjoy a new friendship, and perhaps even start a romantic relationship by finding yourself a pen partner today!
