Even Dozen

 Today marks my 12th anniversary as a member of the international postcard exchange project known as Postcrossing.  Twelve years ago today I began an adventure that has occupied a significant amount of my leisure time, and has been rewarding in many ways.  Over that time, I have sent 10,709 postcards to 117 different countries, and I have received 10,684 postcards from around the world. Among the 74,946 registered Postcrossing members in the USA, I rank 27th in terms of number of cards sent.  Among the 802 members in Alabama, I am #1 - the leading Postcrosser in The Cotton State.  It's been a rewarding experience, mostly in coming to know people from all around the world, and to realize that we are all the same, more or less.  We all have the same dreams and goals.  And in sending so many cards, I've seen some familiar comments in the thank-you messages I get when a recipient registers the card I've sent.  Among the most popular: "I knew of the Birmingham in England, but not the Alabama one."  or "I did know of Alabama- from the Lynyrd Skynyrd song, 'Sweet Home Alabama'." or, only slightly less often "Donald Trump?!  What the hell is wrong with you, America?"  Here's to many more years of Postcrossing.  Write on!

World Postcard Day

 On this day, we celebrate the 155th anniversary of the marvelous communication device, the postcard.  On this day in 1869, Dr. Emanuel Herrmann, an Austrian professor of economics, wrote an article describing the advantages of a single, small piece of stiff paper to convey short messages through the postal system.  These early  Correspondenz-Kartes were quickly adopted by the Austrian postal system, and the familiar post card was born.  Since then, millions of people have bragged to friends and family about their holidays and vacations, long before such things could be done electronically.  Today, of course, the postcard is not commonly used as a communication device.  But postcards continue to live on in communities such as Postcrossing, where I meet interesting people from all around the world.  In upcoming travel, I intend to send postcards to all my friends and family and in so doing commemorate the humble postcard, which has brought joy to many throughout its long history.  Happy World Postcard Day!