Back in the '80s, when Gorbachev was in power, I had pen pals in Russia. It was called USSR then.
It took six months to get letters there and back. And all the mail was read. All of it.
We were teenagers then and had to be careful of what we said. I wasn't allowed to send anything that remotely resembled wealth because my pen pal wouldn't get it. The screeners would take it.
Communism eventually fell.
#Letter writing is only free when the contents are not read and inspected.
Letter writing is one of my most favorite things in the world to do.
I remember all their names, their pictures, the "How to teach yourself Russian" book I bought to help me learn, the airmail envelopes, and the ruble with Stalin's face on it.
Letter writing is beautiful.
I'm so grateful I got to have that experience with people on the other side of the world. It was before the internet.