The other side

Now there are many reasons to participate in Postcrossing. Some people like to collect cards, and they would rather have cards sent to them "blank and in an envelope" so that they can have a pristine, perfect card to add to their themed collections. These are often the kind of people that threaten not to register your card if it does not meet their strict requirements, which is really kind of sad.
Then there are of course the stamp collectors. These usually do not bother mentioning specific types of cards, but ask for special stamps and also like their cards in an envelope because then they can easily cut the stamp off. Often these people are very disappointed about cards from the Netherlands, because we have ugly "sticker stamps" that you cannot iron off, and the designs change every 5 years, so they get a lot of the same from us.
Lastly, there are many people like me, who love to get mail, love to see a great picture or a nice stamp, but for whom the back of the postcard, the writing, is the most important part. I love to see a long, personal story on my cards; it is a way of connecting to people and getting a glimpse of what life is like in other countries far away. I love it when people have read my profile and respond to something I mentioned, or write something that they know suits my interests (and I try to do the same, of course, the worst thing you can have is an empty profile, but even then I try to write something, and generally I write a lot). Yesterday I got the most perfect card in this regard;

US-1518732 received 8 February 2012

I'm showing you the front because I am not allowed to show you the back, and because this illustration of Smaug is also pretty great. However, on the back the sender had written one of the riddles from the Exeter Book, in Old English, and challenged me to solve it, with the card as a clue (it was this riddle, in case anyone is interested). This must be the first time in a looooong time that anyone wrote Old English on a postcard, I think. He then explained that he had also studied English and was now a historian on literature and philosophy of the Middle Ages in north-western Europe, which is one of the subjects I took a lot of courses on. So we clicked. Separated by the Atlantic Ocean and a week of time, we clicked through a postcard. He added a lot of beautiful stamps and an airmail sticker from Uganda airlines, which were also pretty great, but the feeling you have when you turn over a card and it is scribbled full with fine black handwriting and you just know someone took the time and effort to write just what they will know you will love is the best thing about Postcrossing. No, I take that back, the absolute best feeling is when you draw a new address and you read their profile and you know you have the perfect card with the perfect message for that person, and you know that they will be so happy to receive it and read it and click back with you, that is even better. It works both ways, like all good things.

(Now I have some friends (you know who you are!) who have been wanting to sign up for Postcrossing for a long time and still have not done so. Are you still able to resist?)