More than 1,800 postcards sent and counting

As time goes on and mailboxes are being replaced by inboxes, sending handwritten words is becoming a lost art form.

However, Susan Bono is bucking the trend and focusing on this forgotten medium by sending a postcard a day, everyday, for almost six years now.

Her hobby began as an impressive collection, which transformed into a daily routine with the goal of staying connected with friends and family.

“Back in 2008 I realized that I had been collecting postcards pretty much all my life and I had a stash of 200 or so, and the question naturally arose, ‘What am I going to do with these?’ so I decided to send a postcard a day,” says Bono. “I thought it could be a spiritual practice of mine. It really only takes - at most - 10 minutes, so it is an easy way for me to let people know I’m thinking of them.”

What started as a personal collection grew with inheritance and then the creation of her own postcards.

“I started with my own supply of several hundred, and then when my parents died, I discovered a similar stash in their attic,” she says. “I decided to create my own postcards. We have so many resources at our disposal these days for creating postcards and other stationary.”

Once word got out that she likes postcards, the cards came piling in.

“It’s funny, now people give me postcards, whether it’s from trips they have taken or they’ll go to a museum and find me something interesting,” she says. “I still buy them, and now I don’t feel guilty about it because I have a use for them.”

Connie Mygatt developed a weekly ritual with Bono that allowed the pair to bond over writing postcards.

“A few years ago, Susan invited me to join her at Aqus Cafe on Monday mornings to silently enjoy each others company while writing postcards to friends and relatives,” says Mygatt. “I found it an enriching experience to reach out with pen in hand and thoughtfully take time to send hand written messages. From what I heard back, it was equally enjoyed by the receiver. I loved being part of it and would join her again in a heartbeat.”

With a running total of close to 1,800 postcards sent and counting, the question of who is receiving Bono’s plentiful postcards frequently comes up. She points out that it’s easier than you might think to come up with a person a day who would appreciate a short message.

“People wonder how I know all sorts of people, but you’d be surprised if you start thinking about all the people you know,” said Bono. “Sometimes I just open my address book and let my finger fall on a name.”

With the cost of postage slowly creeping up and the time delay between sending and receiving a postcard, much of the population has given up written mail in favor of email, yet Bono finds charm in the simplicity of postcards.

“With a postcard, I don’t expect a reply, whereas with an email there’s always that question, ‘Do I have to hit reply?’ I don’t know,” said Bono. “Email is infinite. You can just keep adding thoughts, but a postcard is really beautiful because you only have a small space. When you’ve filled it, you’re done. Whatever you’ve written once it’s filled, that’s all there can be for that particular message. It’s hopelessly quaint.”

(Contact Mara Paley at argus@arguscouri er.com)