Musings
an Online Journal of Sorts
By Alyce Wilson
December 7, 2006 - Found Letter
Most of the items I find are things I pick up while walking my dog, but sometimes I find interesting items other places, such as in used books. This unfinished letter was in the book Principles of Bookkeeping and Business: Advanced Course by Charles E. Bowman and Atlee L. Perry. The book was in a milk crate full of books I rescued from the curb on trash day.
February 18, 1961
Saturday afternoonDear Jimmy,
I just came home from the Saturday morning session. It was a hard morning. The kids were noisy. I took in $19.75. When I came home and saw your letter here I forgot about being tired and read it over twice and now I'm writing you one.
It looks like rain. The rink may not open this afternoon but I hope it does.
When you kid me in your letters you write (Ha) after it. Its not necessary because I can just about hear your voice and see your expressions as if you were standing beside me. I know you mean no harm. But maybe you do it because you think I may form the opinion that your conceited. But I won't ever. I can tell when your teasing because I have a special little section in the back part of my brain that sends a message & rings a little bell that says 'teasing.'
The writer abandoned the letter at this point, perhaps because of the rambling last paragraph. Even this far into the letter, though, it's clear that the writer of the letter has deep affection for Jimmy.
Assuming that the letter writer started over with a new letter, why was it worth keeping this early draft? My guess is it's because of the poem written on the back.
Many times old friends come together
After being apart a long time.
revised old memories come back again
But its realized that is all gone
Which once had been
It takes an understanding person
And maybe one who had experience
What is trying to be said
Now the relationship becomes more clear. Jimmy is neither a lover or a brother but, in fact, an old friend. I imagine the letter writer starting over, writing a chatty letter about kids and work, without the wistfulness born of nostalgia.
But she tucked this draft into a rarely used book where she knew no one would accidentally discover it. Like one of my favorite lines from the Bible, "And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart (Luke 2:19)."
Moral:
The hardest thing to tell an old friend is how much you care.
Copyright
2006 by Alyce Wilson
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