In January of this year, I began contemplating the idea of sending postcards to others; however, I hesitated because I believed that most recipients would not appreciate them. Given the prevalence of texting, which is quicker and eliminates the need for postage, I doubted the value of my intent.
I found texting to lack the authenticity I desired, leading me to abandon the idea. However, as February approached, I realized that the concept of sending postcards had not entirely faded; it had merely been put on hold. A shift in perspective prompted me to reconsider: rather than sending postcards to others, why not send them to myself? While this may seem whimsical, it resonated deeply and felt more meaningful.
This sparked the notion of writing to myself, encapsulating my thoughts and reflections. The initial challenge was locating Duke Kahanamoku postcards. After searching through my collection, I discovered one featuring him standing proudly by his surfboard. On this postcard, I wrote about sending myself a message from Duke Kahanamoku, accompanied by the stamp as I chronicled my thoughts about him. My blog’s tagline reads, “I spin tales about Duke Kahanamoku.”
I mailed the postcard from my mailbox, and a few days later, it arrived with a USPS stamp. In truth, I forgot about that initial attempt, but when it finally arrived, I was pleasantly surprised, and it brought a smile to my face.
For my next postcard, I chose another Duke stamp, this time on a postcard depicting a woman at the beach, oblivious to the alligator lurking behind her, ready to strike. The alligator quipped, “Us Florida alligators would rather BITE that switch.” In my message, I noted that while browsing, I stumbled upon six Hawaiian shirts for $10, one of which bore Duke Kahanamoku’s brand, so I decided to buy it.
Just like the first postcard, I mailed it, and upon receiving it, I began to appreciate the joy it brought me. However, I felt that something was missing; I wanted to expand my efforts beyond local mailing.
An idea struck me: what if I wrote several postcards and sent them to Hawaii, instructing someone there to mail them back to me? At this point, I had run out of Duke postcards, so I opted for Hawaiian postcards, still using Duke’s stamps.
I reached out to my brother Ryan, who lives in Hawaii, and he enthusiastically agreed to assist me. I gathered five Hawaiian postcards, and the first one read: “I started mailing postcards to myself with Duke Kahanamoku’s stamps, and this time they will bear Hawaii’s USPS stamp as I send them to my brother in Honolulu.”
It took two weeks for my brother to receive them, and I instructed him to mail them from various mailboxes with different zip codes.
Today, they arrived, stamped by Hawaii’s USPS from Honolulu, with some likely originating from other zip codes that were difficult to decipher. I know for certain that it took my brother a week to send them all.
What have I learned from this experience of sending postcards to myself?
Yes, I have discovered the importance of preserving memories through the act of writing, while also relishing the joy I felt upon receiving them.
This personal hobby is one I wish to continue, as the genuine joy I have discovered through this creative outlet is truly rewarding.
Here are the postcards that arrived and will be added to my binder.