Less polite in written words?

84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff


The real fun of this book is seeing the evolution of their friendship. Helene Hanff cracked me up with how jazzy at the mouth she was in comparison with the more reserved Frank Doel (though he too loosened up over time). She even noted that she said some of the most outrageous things from a safe distance (from across the ocean) in her letters.

One of my favorite bits of the book was, “i enclose two limp singles, i will make do with this thing till you find me a real Pepys. THEN i will rip up this ersatz book, page by page, AND WRAP THINGS IN IT.” Very jazzy. After chewing him out about the Pepys, Hanff’s postscript of the same letter kindly asked, “Fresh eggs or powdered for X-Mas?” Too funny.

Today people are writing others more than ever via social networks, postal mail, email and text messages. The book has made me reflect on some of the stuff that I have written to others. Was I looser with the lips than I would be in person? Hhhmmm.

Are you less polite in written communications than you would be in person?