The United States Postal Service is a national treasure. A beacon of efficiency, the USPS has historically been the best and least expensive way to send correspondence or small packages. Now, however, it is being threatened with huge cuts. Some in the government have questioned its relevance in the 21st Century. But our postal system may actually be more relevant now than ever before.

The Art of Communication has faltered in the age of email and Twitter. People have gotten lazier and lazier in the name of character efficiency to the point where a limited number of characters has drained the character right out of typical tweets. Sound bytes in the news had already begun dragging the expectations for communication lower. But really it was the speed and ease of email that is to blame.

There is a solution. Not only will this be good for the Post Office, but it will raise the level of communication in this country. Write and send just one letter per week. Just one. And with that, two things will happen. First and most obviously, there will be an increase in legitimate mail flowing through the postal system. That means more First Class Stamps will be sold and this is economically good for the USPS. (Plus, it has the added bonus of showing that there is perceived value in the service.) Then, the better thing will occur: people will relearn the art of letter writing. They will take the time to formulate their thoughts beyond 240 hasty characters, putting references into context and actually creating something of value! That’s right! Perhaps not instantly, perhaps not everyone will have the same results, but slowly over time the benefits will accrue as long as we all stick with it.

Am I a dreamer? Maybe so. But at least I still have hope and believe that words can have the power to convey messages with true meaning, in spite of how society appears to be leaning these days.