By Bill Quain
Many of my readers ask me how I come up with my “Six Words on a Boardwalk Bench” ideas. It’s really just a matter of observing everyday life. Things are happening all around us! Most of the time we just ignore them. We might sometimes think, “That was unusual.” But when you are writing a weekly column, the way you hear, see and remember things is different. Suddenly, instead of just barely noticing things in passing, you come across an interesting occurrence and decide to share it with others. That’s where this week’s column comes from.
I’m going to tell you a few stories about “lost letters.” It was easy to find them. I just went to Google and started writing phrases in the search box. You know what I mean… you want some information, and you just start searching.
I prefer to search with Google instead of ChatGPT. Why? As a columnist, I have to give attribution to the sources of my information. ChatGPT is a great way to dredge up all kinds of information, but it is seldom attributed to the source. Instead, it is usually just a summary. Now, don’t get me wrong, ChatGPT is excellent for a lot of things. My wife Jeanne is a total pro on the AI machine. I even use it in my college classes, and encourage my students to use it. However, when I’m publishing something, I want to give credit to the original author.
Two WWII Letters Delivered Decades Later
I found two great examples of wartime letters that took nearly 80 years to arrive. The first was reported by Inside Edition on Jan 7, 2024. The story was titled “Lost Letter Gets Delivered to Family Member 80 Years Later.” The letter was found in a post office in Dekalb, Illinois. It had been mailed to Lavena and Louie George in 1943 from Amboy, Illinois, 50 miles away, but had never been delivered. Once the letter was discovered, a postal worker went online and found an obituary for Lavena from 2012, and then located her granddaughter using social media. The granddaughter was thrilled to receive the letter.
A 2016 online article by D.J. MacLennan in MentalFloss.com was titled “15 Pieces of Mail Delivered Decades After They Were Sent.” It told the story of a British serviceman named Charles Fleming. He sent a letter to his “dearest” in 1945. Somehow the original envelope had been lost. The letter and several photographs finally arrived at a Royal Air Force Base … in 2009.
You’ve Got Mail – 100+ Years Later
In the same “15 Pieces of Mail” article, the author told of a letter that was delivered to the 80-year-old great-granddaughter of a French gentleman. It was an order for yarn from his factory, which was only six miles from where the letter was sent. The letter arrived 138 years after it was mailed! Remember that, the next time you complain about the U.S. Postal Service!
What Made Me Think of This?
Last week, I received an email from a gentleman named Randy. He had just read my Sept. 7, 2023 column about working at Watson’s Restaurant. Much of that column was contributed by Pete Davis, who rose from a dishwasher to the manager of Watson’s. Randy was just 16 years old when he worked with Pete in 1974. He had some funny stories to share about that summer, like how his pants would get so dirty that he could literally stand them up in his room after a shift.
I received Randy’s email during a very busy week, and it took me seven days to respond to him. When I eventually wrote to Randy, I apologized for having taken so long to get back to him.
It was then that two things hit me. First, everything is so fast today that I felt a delay of one week needed to be accompanied by an apology. Second, Randy found my column about 14 months after it was published, but it was still there, like everything else online. Even though it took Randy 14 months to read my column, I still thought I should apologize for my tardy response!
“C’mon. I Haven’t Got All Second!”
Years ago, when I was a professor at the University of Central Florida, my graduate assistant gave an updated twist to the old saying “Come on, I haven’t got all day.” We were waiting for the computer to do something, when he blurted out “Come on, I haven’t got all second!” I use that expression to this day. After all, it’s a new, fast-moving world out there.
You Have One Week to Reply
Okay, let’s hear from you! I’ll give you a week. After that, if you do write to me, you’ll have to apologize!
You can drop me an email to bill@quain.com. And as I say each week, I’ll see ya in the papers!
Bill is a Professor in Stockton University’s Hospitality Management Program. He is the author of 27 books, and a highly-respected speaker. Even though he is almost totally blind, Bill is a long-distance runner and runs the Ocean City Half Marathon each year. He lives in Ocean City with his wife Jeanne, and his Guide Dog Trudy. Visit www.billquain.com or email him at bill@quain.com.
