Christmas has come and gone and the New Year is coming up. Many of us have been used to greetings and gifts from our near and dear ones during this season. Many wait for the postman. If you were expecting a greeting card this Christmas and New Year, chances are that your expectation may not be met. The colourful greeting cards have been replaced by e-cards and text messages.
The arrival of the techno-era has made life simpler but has killed some of the simple surprises we used to have. It was heart-warming to receive a greeting card with our name written on it by friends and family members. The cards worked as annual mementos and were often preserved and cherished. They enhanced the mood of the drawing rooms, adorned study tables and were used as bookmarks. Receiving many cards was also a matter of pride.
The small card that could bring sparkle and smiles on to our face is dying an unlamented death. In the hustle and bustle of modern life, not many have the time to visit a card shop nor the patience to visit a post office to dispatch one. Technology has eased everything, including the culture of writing a greeting card. The present generation believes in forwarding text messages and photos received from someone else, and ironically many a time you end up receiving the same text message and photo forwarded a few minutes earlier.
The card shops are now deserted. The Department of Posts has stopped its greeting telegram service.
If you believe in doing something different, this is the time to send a greeting card. It is never late to do it. Break the shackles of gadgets and abstain from forwarding the short-lived virtual text messages and e-cards.
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