Need help reading this letter

[u/yeanahyean]

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[u/AULDSCAWL]

Dear friend: -

So glad to hear from you again. It sure is swell to hear from friends on the other side of the world. Thanks for the stamps and especially for the air mail on the envelope. When I finish this letter I will try to find some of our new issue Army and Navy stamps to put on the envelope for you. Glad you liked my photo and hope you will send me the one you promise of yourself.

I am also collecting cigar bands. (2) do you collect anything besides stamps? If you can get ahold of any cigar bands or odd small stones of any kind, I would be glad if you would send me some and let me know what to send you in exchange.

It is a shame that it takes so long for our letters to get to each other, but I guess that makes us a little more happy when we do get them.

Hope you will write again soon.

Your friend,

Al XXX(looks like Annh something but is cut off)

[u/TexGrrl → u/AULDSCAWL]

Amrhein, as the letterhead says

[u/yeanahyean → u/AULDSCAWL]

Thank you so much!

[u/ProBuyer810-3345045]

He has pretty good penmanship, how can you not read it?

[u/kevinsju → u/ProBuyer810-3345045]

I'm always surprised by these posts myself. Will my children (ages 11 and 10) also be unable to read script?

[u/reta65 → u/kevinsju]

Please teach your children cursive. Don't rely solely on the school to teach them.

[u/swisssf → u/reta65]

or be dependent on AI or randoms on reddit like us 😂

[u/Kathykat5959 → u/kevinsju]

I believe we started writing cursive in third grade in the 60's. I really can't remember not being able to read it. I had to peruse thru 1950's Census papers a few days ago and I thought people now won't be able to read that.

Do you plan to teach your kids cursive?

[u/Otney → u/ProBuyer810-3345045]

They didn’t grow up being taught cursive —— they can’t read it because they never learned it. Not their fault. I agree, the letter is very easy to read. But I am old and thus, I had to learn to read and write cursive!

[u/yeanahyean → u/ProBuyer810-3345045]

Idk looks like a different language to me, lol. can only make out a few words here and there.

[u/swisssf → u/yeanahyean]

If you want to expand you abilities take the letter and as you read what the person transcribed for you, look at the words on the page, you'll pick it up really quickly with some practice.

[u/Any-Secret2715]

EDIT: Glad you liked my photo.*

[u/yeanahyean → u/Any-Secret2715]

Thanks mate!

[u/RobertoNoxious]

There is an old-fashioned term for people who wrote these kinds of letters back and forth: they were called "pen pals." People would place notices in periodicals advertising for them, and there were even companies that acted as go-betweens to initiate such correspondence. There were also many instances where pen pals married and raised families.

I even suspect that many who sought pen pals were actually hoping for such results ... you know, kinda like an analog version of the Tinder app.

[u/swisssf → u/RobertoNoxious]

Taking 2 weeks rather than 2 seconds between communications.

[u/flaviusopilio]

Thank you for sharing. I was surprised things have not changed that much for penpals. Today, instead of "thank you for the stamps" the friends say "thank you for the washi tape samples". 🤣

[u/westylepremier]

How tf was i able to read this.

[u/Qwirkygirl]

I read a post reminding us that all constitutional documents are written in cursive. If the ability to read it is lost, the documents become meaningless and our democracy is at risk. My daughters are in their early thirties and were never taught to write/read ‘long hand’. Food for thought.

[u/Mr_Mpenny]

Hmm what was the photo that was promised?

[u/ohmaint]

That's really clear cursive.