Penpalling in the future

Imagine this:

It's the year 2513.

Paper no longer exists. There are no more post offices. No one knows how to write anymore. Except for a few dissidents... Members of a super secret, hidden society: The League of Extraordinary Penpals.


League of Extraordinary Penpals


Doesn't it feel good to know that the great-great-great-grandchildren of our great-great-great-grandchildren will still follow our letter writing traditions in the future?

It won't be easy to keep the art of letter writing alive then. They'll have to make sacrifices, try to salvage stationery stashes, start growing their own trees and eventually learn how to make paper by hand. They'll have to teach their kids how to write, and have to train robots how to deliver mail...

But it'll be worth it.

Because unlike everyone else around us, we were able to form true bonds with people across the ocean and share something deeper with our penpals. These will be lessons that we'll pass down to future generations of letter writers. We'll teach our grandchildren that patience is a virtue and that good things can take time. We'll show them that meaningful relationships aren't instantaneous and that a handwritten letter is a real treasure.

Oh, some people think that we were foolish. Sure, most humans laughed at us at one point. They said that we were wasting our time, that we weren't being productive, that we were childish. But we knew something that they didn't: penpalling would save us. Writing letters would allow us to be introspective and connect with other human beings in a significant way. When civilization becomes disengaged from everyone and everything, we remain united.

We are proud members of the League of Extraordinary Penpals today. And in the year 2513, it'll be our descendants who continue our mission.