You know what’s underrated? The old-fashioned business letter.
I remember learning the format for these things in keyboarding class in high school. I sort of loved making my own letterhead (mine always had a strong Phantom of the Opera theme) and typing up important letters to important people.
We don’t really get to do that very much anymore.
I mean, even though I try to keep my emails nice and professional, I still get tons of work emails from people, using little punctuation or capitalization, and ending with that ubiquitous “Sent from my iPhone.” Like that’s supposed to excuse this mediocre attempt at communication:
“i see no thank you i do not have transportation but im sure other students will jump on this offer”
Also embarrassing is the email signature incorporating some song lyric or “Chinese proverb” that’s not really a Chinese proverb at all.
I got an email from someone the other day – it ended like so:
I’ve heard it said that people come into our
lives for a reason, bringing something we must
learn, and we are led to those who help us most
to grow, (if we let them) and we help them in return.
Also? No credit on that. So…plagiarism? (To avoid plagiarism myself, that’s from Wicked.)
Meanwhile, I gleefully typed this up this morning:
Not saying it’s perfect, but at least it’s not embarrassing. Simple pleasures…but pleasures nonetheless!
The Cameraphone Diaries 