The More Things Change...

So I was reorganizing my bookshelves this weekend when I came across some old college books.  One of them was The Paston Letters.  This is a collection of letters sent back and forth between members of the Paston Family of Norfolk during the 15^th century.  Letter writing was considered an art form throughout much of English history, and these letters provided a unique glimpse into the life during the time.  More importantly, the act of letter writing provided a connection between friends and family that were separated.  Marriages often sent daughters far away from their families.  Business travel would involve being away from home for months at a time. 

Some people have lamented that the internet has allowed us to be more isolated from each other.  We've all read the articles by the sociologists and "experts" (usually trying to hawk their latest book, no doubt) discussing how we have become a society of individuals instead of communities.  How we don't know our neighbors.  How we don't spend enough time with our families. 

But is this really true?  I think the popularity of social networking sites says otherwise.  We may have advanced technology and virtual everything these days, but we are still the same creatures that we were in the 15^th century.  Sons and daughters get married and move far away from their families.  Business travel keeps couples separated.  And so we do the one thing we can do to keep connected.

We write letters.

Of course, today our letters are posted on blogs instead of sent by courier across hundreds of miles.  But it's still the same thing.  If anything, the internet has allowed us to reconnect with our communities, and create new virtual communities of like-minded people who share of bond.  A community, after all, is not merely a physical location.  A true community is a shared experience in which each member participates and has value.