A few weeks ago I stood in a very long line at the Post Office, where I watched 2 postal workers amidst the empty landscape of 5 work stations, steadily working to get through the line that was trailing out the door.

While most in line were becoming increasingly irritated (including myself), the man behind me stood patiently, hands folded. When the woman in front of me vocalized her concern for the lack of staff, he took that as an opportunity to tell the story of his little town in Michigan.

According to his tale, in his hometown they have one postal worker in their tiny Post Office, and when it was about to close everyone in the town went in droves to buy stamps they didn’t even need, just to save the woman’s job (and their Post Office).

I’m not sure if his story was an exaggeration, but it sure would explain his patience.

I have always been a fan of “snail mail”. Sure, I work in a field that requires me to send sometimes a hundred or more emails per day and I use social media religiously to keep in contact with friends and family who are all far away. I love computers, technology, and all things convenient and quick. However, nothing can ever replace the feeling I get when I receive a card or letter in the mail. The thoughtfulness of the actual, literal, written word on a sheet of paper and the time it takes to package and send via “snail mail” should never go out of style.

Unfortunately, the long line I was stuck in at the Post Office here in Naples was not due to packages being mailed or stamps being purchased, but rather what we call “snow birds” putting in change of address requests upon their arrival here for the winter.

With the cost of postage on the rise in 2012, the always high cost of printing, and the movement toward “green” living, I’m afraid “snail mail” may be on its way to extinction. It seems e-mail has quickly replaced it, and we may see social media start pushing e-mail to extinction soon.  Even my 78-year old grandmother uses Facebook now, which is our main form of communication with each other.

According to this article on govtech.com, real-time communication could take over as the new workplace communication, making conversations more convenient and efficient.

Even if I’m one of few who still likes to send a letter via the mail these days, I’m still excited to see what new advances in communication 2012 brings us!

To learn more about the postage rate increases, click here.

-Jessica LeBrun