Though there are differences. I doubt a 13 year old girl would express her feelings by spontaneously taking the guy's arm while walking along. And would a 13 year old guy say "thank you" for such a great gift and compliment?
This transported me back to the many relationships I have had (childhood penpals, friendships, and romances) that lived between the lines of letters. Before email, there was time and space for thoughts and feelings to simmer gently while waiting for the next letter to arrive. There was growth in that process, though sometimes it was seen only in hindsight. There was also complete fantasy at times that was unsustainable. Ah, those were the days. Thank you for such a beautiful piece.
Thank you, Margaret, for sharing this reflection. I 100% agree, it was magical. "there was time and space for thoughts and feelings to simmer gently while waiting for the next letter to arrive" -- so very true.
Just to add my own personal growth phase(s) experiences -
'There was growth in that process, though sometimes it was seen only in hindsight. There was also complete fantasy at times that was unsustainable' and then there was unquestioned, unconditional and undying support from those good Ol' friends.
Fact? Fiction? I no longer care. I open each of these letters knowing I will enjoy them immensely! Not disappointed. Not in the way you remind me of teenage obsessive love, or the air letter forms.
Wonderful piece, Silvio. The carefree years of youth, to live and love so deeply, we do well to remember these days. Loved this line:
"Eternal love in junior high sounds like an oxymoron, or a cacophony of thoughts. But maybe it doesn’t. Maybe as kids we possess a degree of purity and clarity about what we like and want that we will never have again."
Also, congrats on the Substack Reads feature! So well deserved!
Thank you so much, Alexander, for all your support. That line is actually one of my favorites! So glad we connected and resonate with each other's work.
Now, I must change the title of my unpublished work, my 'Unsent Letters', to 'Letters Never Sent'. Each chapter is to a person who greatly influenced my life in some way. Not all are positive experiences, but each were powerful.
I, too, had along distance, first great love as a young teen. You helped me relive the exhalting feeling of seeing that envelope in the mail. I have just discovered Substack and eager to find my village. Thanks for this share.
Magical and moving, Silvio. I love anything in epistolary form and this works so well.
A few specific lines that really struck me here:
"The moment I realized it was you, that very moment, every word of all those letters flashed before my eyes, as if resurfaced from the depths of the ocean where they were trapped inside a chained chest, like in a Houdini trick."
and
It opened, and a wind of memories blew out at once, filling the room with the scent of my teenage days.
Lovely lyrical writing. Letters, our youth, fragmentary perceptions. I read your piece after consoling my son who has just been dumped and is heartbroken, and every sense of loss he has I understand, and wish to spare him the weight of sadness and yet - without that release he won't be open again to love. The bloom folds, fades, drops and then the light comes, and it lifts its little head again.
Thank you, Saige. And thank you for sharing what your son's been going through. I guess there are no shortcuts for heart matters. It's like turbulence on a flight: you just have to go through that.
It's the precise collision of detail and encompassing truths that you engineer into the same space that is so captivating to me Silvio. I can't wait for all of these to become a book.
I really appreciate that, Rick. Thank you! Maybe one day I will gather all these in a book. For now, I'll keep going as long as my memories resurface and fantasy doesn't abandon me. :)
Just the other day I found two “Par Avion” envelope stickers. I started to throw them out but I kept them because they are a portal to another time, a reminder of the many letters I exchanged with a gent in London…years ago. He has been on my mind, a lot, lately. Perhaps those two stickers will prompt me to write that letter. the one that has been rolling around in my head…for years. Loved #16
Ciao, Lea
p.s. I once worked at 620 Market (? corner Mkt & 3rd), SFO.
I keep a few true stories in mind to pull out for the hearing of heart broken youngsters.
One is simply: I thought I would die of heartbreak and humiliation when he left me for another person. In a shorter while than I’d imagined I couldn’t remember the color of his eyes; the cafe in which our social life took place became what it was, a small food and beverage concern in another state. I do this not to invalidate the worth of young experience, but to let them know:
This situation which seems to be all powerful and bent on your destruction, will, sooner than you think, lose its terrible, implacable hold on you and you’ll be free. The breeze stroking your arms will be relevant again and you will float away to the next situation, handling them with more and more assurance. Thanks for reminding us of what memories are made from.
Thank you for sharing this, Emily! So very true: "This situation which seems to be all powerful and bent on your destruction, will, sooner than you think, lose its terrible, implacable hold on you and you’ll be free."
I was recently reminded about my first boyfriend, at age 16 (he was 15 years older) - no wonder my parents freaked out!
Recently admitted to a nursing home, his brother, when cleaning out his stuff, came across every letter I had ever written to him. Neatly bundled and, according to his brother, with a note attached 'from my first and only love'.
Those same infatuations can occur even when you're over 70, with the same overwhelming intensity they did at 13.
Yep I get that - I have experienced something similar in my 60’s to be honest - v discombobulating ‘n powerful! V.
Though there are differences. I doubt a 13 year old girl would express her feelings by spontaneously taking the guy's arm while walking along. And would a 13 year old guy say "thank you" for such a great gift and compliment?
I agree.
To be sure!
This transported me back to the many relationships I have had (childhood penpals, friendships, and romances) that lived between the lines of letters. Before email, there was time and space for thoughts and feelings to simmer gently while waiting for the next letter to arrive. There was growth in that process, though sometimes it was seen only in hindsight. There was also complete fantasy at times that was unsustainable. Ah, those were the days. Thank you for such a beautiful piece.
Thank you, Margaret, for sharing this reflection. I 100% agree, it was magical. "there was time and space for thoughts and feelings to simmer gently while waiting for the next letter to arrive" -- so very true.
Just to add my own personal growth phase(s) experiences -
'There was growth in that process, though sometimes it was seen only in hindsight. There was also complete fantasy at times that was unsustainable' and then there was unquestioned, unconditional and undying support from those good Ol' friends.
Indeed! And I married my last "pen pal." ❤️
Fact? Fiction? I no longer care. I open each of these letters knowing I will enjoy them immensely! Not disappointed. Not in the way you remind me of teenage obsessive love, or the air letter forms.
Thank you, Karena! You've always been fond of this format, since the very beginning. And I so appreciate it. Love seeing you around here.
Sometimes memories don’t want to stay closed in a box; they want to be revisited, their emotions felt again.” I love this unsent letter #16!!!
Thank you, Tinabeth!
Wonderful piece, Silvio. The carefree years of youth, to live and love so deeply, we do well to remember these days. Loved this line:
"Eternal love in junior high sounds like an oxymoron, or a cacophony of thoughts. But maybe it doesn’t. Maybe as kids we possess a degree of purity and clarity about what we like and want that we will never have again."
Also, congrats on the Substack Reads feature! So well deserved!
Thank you so much, Alexander, for all your support. That line is actually one of my favorites! So glad we connected and resonate with each other's work.
Likewise, Silvio. I'm looking forward to reading more soon.
I came here to compliment the same passage.
Thank you!
Yes, indeed. The one Nathan quotes is also exquisite.
Just so vivid! I was there.
Thank you, Anna!
Now, I must change the title of my unpublished work, my 'Unsent Letters', to 'Letters Never Sent'. Each chapter is to a person who greatly influenced my life in some way. Not all are positive experiences, but each were powerful.
I, too, had along distance, first great love as a young teen. You helped me relive the exhalting feeling of seeing that envelope in the mail. I have just discovered Substack and eager to find my village. Thanks for this share.
Thank you, Margaret! I'm glad you like it and can relate.
Magical and moving, Silvio. I love anything in epistolary form and this works so well.
A few specific lines that really struck me here:
"The moment I realized it was you, that very moment, every word of all those letters flashed before my eyes, as if resurfaced from the depths of the ocean where they were trapped inside a chained chest, like in a Houdini trick."
and
It opened, and a wind of memories blew out at once, filling the room with the scent of my teenage days.
Thank you, Nathan! These are kind words. And seeing that some passages particularly struck you makes my day!
Ah, that's so lovely to hear :)
Lovely lyrical writing. Letters, our youth, fragmentary perceptions. I read your piece after consoling my son who has just been dumped and is heartbroken, and every sense of loss he has I understand, and wish to spare him the weight of sadness and yet - without that release he won't be open again to love. The bloom folds, fades, drops and then the light comes, and it lifts its little head again.
Thank you, Saige. And thank you for sharing what your son's been going through. I guess there are no shortcuts for heart matters. It's like turbulence on a flight: you just have to go through that.
It's the precise collision of detail and encompassing truths that you engineer into the same space that is so captivating to me Silvio. I can't wait for all of these to become a book.
I really appreciate that, Rick. Thank you! Maybe one day I will gather all these in a book. For now, I'll keep going as long as my memories resurface and fantasy doesn't abandon me. :)
ahh… it could be any city 6k from SFO but I’m guessing it’s Milano. And then there’s the “i” at the end of yr name.
I’ll be reading more. Ciao!
Wow, spot on. Brava. :)
Just the other day I found two “Par Avion” envelope stickers. I started to throw them out but I kept them because they are a portal to another time, a reminder of the many letters I exchanged with a gent in London…years ago. He has been on my mind, a lot, lately. Perhaps those two stickers will prompt me to write that letter. the one that has been rolling around in my head…for years. Loved #16
Ciao, Lea
p.s. I once worked at 620 Market (? corner Mkt & 3rd), SFO.
Thank you, Lea, for reading and sharing. And commenting!
(P.S. I'm not sure I understand this?)
It must be Substack, not you, that’s located in San Francisco (SFO). …sorry about that. L
…in any case, Silvio, please keep writing. You are a talented writer!
Thank you so much, Lea!
Oh, I get it now. So funny. SFO is six thousand miles and nine times zones away from here :) (no need to be sorry!)
I keep a few true stories in mind to pull out for the hearing of heart broken youngsters.
One is simply: I thought I would die of heartbreak and humiliation when he left me for another person. In a shorter while than I’d imagined I couldn’t remember the color of his eyes; the cafe in which our social life took place became what it was, a small food and beverage concern in another state. I do this not to invalidate the worth of young experience, but to let them know:
This situation which seems to be all powerful and bent on your destruction, will, sooner than you think, lose its terrible, implacable hold on you and you’ll be free. The breeze stroking your arms will be relevant again and you will float away to the next situation, handling them with more and more assurance. Thanks for reminding us of what memories are made from.
Thank you for sharing this, Emily! So very true: "This situation which seems to be all powerful and bent on your destruction, will, sooner than you think, lose its terrible, implacable hold on you and you’ll be free."
I love it. Amazingly described.
New memories - new lessons - more right - less naive - something tells me that this was possibly my first lesson of moving on letting go.
Loved reading this. And I've just subscribed!
I was recently reminded about my first boyfriend, at age 16 (he was 15 years older) - no wonder my parents freaked out!
Recently admitted to a nursing home, his brother, when cleaning out his stuff, came across every letter I had ever written to him. Neatly bundled and, according to his brother, with a note attached 'from my first and only love'.
'The boyfriend' must be about 80 years old!
Thank you, Susan, for sharing this. And for the support!
Do you still have anything from your first love?
No. It's maybe a bit weird as I've well and truly moved on.
Absolutely wonderful - although it seems as though you have a window through which you have glimpsed my past!
Thank you, Remanon. I guess this past is common to many's. Glad you could relate!
I can relate to every word! It's as though I lived this too! Thank you!
Thank you, Sharon!