Penpals
| Field | People |
| Went Obsolete | 1990s |
| Made Obsolete By | Cell phones and the Internet |
| Knowledge Assumed | Good writing ability |
| When useful | If you want to stay in touch with someone without easy access to the Internet or a phone |
There are (were?) a number of ways to meet pen pals. Maybe you met someone on a vacation and swapped addresses. Maybe you went to an agency that gave out pen pal addresses. Maybe a friend moved away.
Whatever the reason, you now have a friend who's too far away to call (long distance) and definitely too far away to visit. So you send letters.
You may want to begin your letter with polite formalities, but go on to ask more personal questions. Inquire about his or her health and life or whatever you want to know. Tell him or her about interesting things that have happened to you that you think would be of interest. I don't know, just realize that you're having a really long, drawn-out conversation and proceed accordingly.
If you're a huge nerd, you can play chess with your pen pal. Actually write out the individual moves in your letter and keep a chess board reflecting the current state of the game. You'll have at least a week (maybe a month or two if your pen pal is international) to ponder your next move.
Then seal your letter, take it to the post office, and grumble about stamp prices. You'll find checking your mail will become substantially more interesting as you wait for a response.