In the Days Before We Got Caught in the 'Net...

Perhaps you remember a time when information did not reside at your fingertips. Maybe you can recall card catalogues and something called a typewriter. Way back in those olden days, we had it rough. The Dark Ages of communication. Okay, so I'm being facetious. But seriously, we had to cope with quite a bit more than we do now. How did we handle it?

Before AOL's "You've Got Mail" had a chance to become an overused 'catchphrase' (for lack of a better word) and our mailboxes weren't 'virtual' we had to deal with tangible correspondence.

Well, what if you were getting influx of fan mail?

How would you keep up?

Via the 'net (it figures) I came across a rather interesting solution to the influx of fan mail from the great science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, who introduced us to Michael Valentine Smith, the Stranger in a Strange Land. (And of course a myriad of other characters and stories.)

Check out his method for replying to the vast amounts of paper that flew his way. It's been posted here by Kevin Kelly on his website. Thanks, KK.

Just Wait...

Here’s something NOT to think about: Waiting.
It seems that we are always waiting for something. For lunchtime. For a reply. For a movie release. For the right person. For…anything. Once whatever "it" is arrives, another “it” can immediately take the place. We are forever looking ahead to the next thing we anticipate, need or desire. Oh sure, it’s good to live in the moment, that whole ball of wax. But even that positive attitude doesn’t erase the fact that we mark dates on our calendars for upcoming events. Try not to think about the ever continuous process of intervening time between where you are now and what you want to occur.

“Everyone is just waiting…” – Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You'll Go!

“How much of human life is lost in waiting.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Waiting is.” – Michael Valentine Smith, Stranger in a Strange Land

“The waiting is the hardest part.” – Tom Petty

"Wait till your father gets home!" – Mothers everywhere

“The waiting time, my brothers, Is the hardest time of all.” - Sarah Doudney

“Now we play the waiting game...” (pause) “Awwoh, the waiting game sucks! Let's play Hungry Hungry Hippos!" - Homer Simpson

“We're waiting for Godot.” – Vladimir, Waiting for Godot

"Still waiting..." - Talking Heads