The habit of giving and keeping greeting cards
I always say that my boy loves to keep ‘rubbish’ as in useless or less important things that has been kept for a long time and seldom take it out to use. I didn’t realize that I am like that too until I did some cleaning on my stuffs at Grandma house not long ago. I found a pile of greeting cards; Christmas, Chinese New Year, Valentine and Birthday that I’ve kept since 3rd year of primary school until now. Whoah! That’s 12 years. I’m not sure to consider it as a memorial or ‘rubbish’.
Let’s flash back. When I was a kid, I have this habit of giving greeting cards to classmates ever since I was in the 3rd year of Primary school I think. Although I’m not a Christian or celebrate Christmas, I just love to give people cards. Then the classmates would give it to me in return. Most of us did it.
I would hunt for Christmas and New Year cards when it was December and gave it to some of the close friends a few weeks before Christmas. There would be around 10 to 15 people. Well, I used to do some check list, which friend is more important kind of thing. Harvest was my favourite greeting cards.
I did the same thing when it came to Chinese New Year. But, the recepients would be lessen. As I grow up and step in Senior High School time, there were some close friends that gave me Valentine cards. You must be thinking that it is from boys? Teong teong.. Wrong. In fact, they were from the girls. Well, most of the cards were from the girls. I don’t think boys would buy greeting cards and give it to their friends unless they receive one.
Besides that, almost every year I would receive Birthday cards from my auntie and uncle. They never failed to send me one. My uncle even sent it with presents. Oh.. How I was loaded with love and presents at that time.
As time goes, almost everyone owns a handphone. I had my first one on my 1st year of Senior High School. Ever since then, the greeting cards have been replaced by SMS. Something that can be deleted anytime after you received it. I didn’t find anything personalized with sms, same font, pictures that were created from symbol, unlike greeting cards which still has someone’s handwriting.
In the end of the day, I throw all those cards away. Knowing that it is just a pile of cards from my family, people who was once my close friends, and people who is still a close friend to me until now. I wonder if my friends do keep those cards until now or they have thrown all those to the bin few weeks after they received it.
