Sometimes I feel silly dragging my old body across a University campus, but today you let me fade into the university wall paper. No one looked at me; I credit you for this, sir. You were unaware of the many stares directed at you. I know this because you stood at a stop light and yelled at someone you knew in the parallel crosswalk. The young man was wearing ear buds, so you yelled louder and began to flail wildly on the street corner. It was an odd scene, accentuated by the way the young man waved back at you sheepishly, but this was not the odd part.

From somewhere, a time-warp maybe, you discovered a pair of spandex shorts. I know you did not find these in your underwear drawer. If you had, you may have worn a pair of the nearby underwear, but you very clearly chose to NOT wear underwear. I do not claim to know whether your decision was based on a sense of pride, or whether this was an oversight, a faux-pas in your daily sequence, or if you thought, “No one can tell.” Allow me to address these possibilities in the order in which I have presented them: congratulations, everyone forgets things, and yes, everyone can tell. Whatever the case, you’ve got a lot of balls, man. I know.

The only other possibility is that you just don’t care, a kind of jambalaya of the other presented renderings. In my mind I credited you with this option. Your carefree willingness to blithely share yourself with others put me at ease. I walked to my classes with unequaled confidence for the rest of the day. So, thanks.

Yours,

Ryan (AKA: dark khakis and, if you must know, boxer-briefs)

Today’s letter was written by Name: Ryan
Twitter: reamofpaper
Blog:
Written From: Ohio USA

I see your life in old yellowed photographs, faded with suffering and tinged with adventure. Still-shots pieced together to tell a story of brokenness and fear, beauty and life. Frames of distant places and unfolding dreams. Images of a life truly lived, and a life filled with regret.

You hold tightly to a very old picture of yourself, believing that you are young again with your whole life ahead of you. You are in love, you are happy, you are safe. You live here, cling to this one image, because it is here that sorrow has no place. I watch the lights in your eyes fade as I ask you questions that force you to move forward. You show me pictures of war and terror; responsibility and family; pain and loss. I understand why you can’t let go, and I think, perhaps, you are the most amazing man I have ever met.


Today’s letter was written by Anonymous
Twitter:
Blog:
Written From: Here

The irony of your chosen mode of transportation was not lost on me. I hope that was intentional.

Ride safe my friend.

Today’s letter was written by Name: Dave
Twitter: davesohnchen
Blog:
Written From: Outside The Bean Scene

It was nice to hear you talking about the small things that your new born babies are doing. A giggle here, a little smile there or even a small step before collapsing on the floor. These seemingly small things are big events right now but they will soon fade to the background as small, every day occurrences.

But, we often forget that the beauty of life happens in the small things. Don’t let these moments fade and keep celebrating them even as your children grow up.

Today’s letter was written by Anonymous Twitter: Blog: Written From: Canada

Hi. I know we were not together for a long time. And I know you feel as though you have hurt me. And you did. But what I want you to know now is that I have forgiven you and I want to make things right.

I just want to thank you.

Thank you for ending it when I could not. Thank you for being there for me and listening, even when you probably just wanted to run away. You saw that we weren’t right for each other, and took charge of the situation, even though you knew it would result in someone getting hurt.

Thank you for respecting me. Thank you for not just being with me because all of our friends are paired off together, and it would have been easy for us to fall together. Thank you for not settling for “good enough,” and not letting me settle either.

I hope one day we can go back to being friends. Not like the way we were before. I don’t think we could ever go back. But I hope we can be friends again. I miss my fellow fifth wheel.

Sincerely,

A person who doesn’t want to just be somebody that you used to know.

Today’s letter was written by Anonymous Twitter: Blog: Written From: Kansas