Hello everyone !
Just got back from a conference in southern France where I was giving a paper at and I was in high spirits, so when I got home I was thinking that I had better had received some mail as I was opening the postbox and I did ! FINALLY !
Got a lovely letter from a guy who's really talkative, so I'll be happy to write him back tomorrow (too tired today).
Unfortunately, I also got a rejection slip, from another prison in Michigan, due to "unknown substance" on the letter. My letter was written with a fountain pen ink and apparently, that's a suspicious "substance"........... I'll therefore have to rewrite the letter to the guy again with a ball pen. Incidentally, I hate ball pens, my writing is really bad and almost illegible with them. Oh well. So, if you're writing to people in Ionia correctional facility, don't use fountain pains.
So yeah, really happy to have finally received a reply. (Oh, and the weather in Nice was sunny and the hotel where the conference was held at was by the sea.... It was marvellous and I wish I was still there :/ )
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So happy you received your first letter! I remember my first one too! It’s such a wonderful feeling! Sorry though about the other letter that your pal does d not get to receive. Certain prisons can be pains ( to say the least) but it’s a bittersweet precaution I guess.
God, I realize I made quite a few typos in the first message and I can't find how to edit it ! :/
larrysbabygirl, yes, it is a very nice feeling and I like the idea I brightened his day. I actually started my reply tonight (cos my mind was racing with everything I want to tell him about) and I'll continue tomorrow, after work. I'm really cross about the other guy not receiving my letter. He seems interesting, so it's annoying having to write to him again, especially when you think that I spent time and money for nothing !
Unfortunately they can use the ink for making tattoos so it gets rejected straight out. Either use a ball point or type your letter next time.
It's so annoying to have to deal with all these regulations and that prisoners resort to these tactics thus encouraging stricter rules. :/
It's strange I didn't get any other rejection slips from other institutions though and the penpal who replied to me got a letter written with a fountain pen...So...
You hand write your letters? That's risky because letters often get lost in the mail. I type all mine out and keep them in a Microsoft Word document (different file for each pen pal). If one gets lost, I can just reprint it and all I lose is a little postage.
It’s so exciting getting your first letter. Always best to write in ballpoint.
I hand write all my letters, none have been lost in the post (yet).
Zarchery, one of the many reasons I decided to write to inmates is because I miss writing letters. I've spent a lot of time typing the past few years (article writing, my doctoral dissertation etc) and I'd rather not do it if I can help it. Besides, I absolutely love using my fountain pen.
Which makes me wonder. Maybe it's not the fountain pen ink, but the corrector fluid. It's a special kinda corrector you find in France, which absorbs the ink and leaves a whitish trace on paper. Maybe that's the "unknown substance" they were refering to. I've written quite a few letters with my fountain pen and only got one rejection slip (and one answer only !). In my reply to my new penpal though I did not use any type of corrector fluid, just in case.
BabyBlueEyes, it was exciting to finally get an answer, yes ! Here's to letter writing and the joy it brings !
Congrats! (Not on the rejection slip, of course. I was lucky to never have gotten any so far *knocking on wood*)
First letters are always very exciting, but let me tell you: It can even get better! :-)
Happy writing,
Kirsten
Thanks Kirsten ! I do hope it will get even better ! The guy who replied seems interesting, so really looking forward to learning more about him and hoping to hear from other inmates as well. Also, finding letters in my mail box and not just bills is definitely something I'll be looking forward to.
Congrats on your first reply! Those are always exciting, there's something about the first one from a new person that is always SUPER exciting, to me at least!
Handwritten letters definitely are a lost art, what I do varies according to the time I have available, I handwrite when I can, I type otherwise. I've done quite a bit of both, it depends on where I'm at with other stuff in my life when I write back. I always handwrite first letters, after that it's some typed and some handwritten.
About the rejection slip, no worries, it happens sometimes! I recently was dinged for writing to someone in New Mexico because the envelope I used was not white, so while not the same thing as why yours was, I know the feeling! It's not like I was trying for it, it just happened, I forgot to check DOC requirements before I wrote and paid the price! Now I have an extra thing to remember that does not exist for any of the other penpals I write to!
But anyway, hopefully you've found some lovely people to connect with! when you find someone who truly appreciates what you do, it's the greatest feeling! Happy writing!