Do People Still Send Greeting Cards?

During school years, every Christmas, there was a sale of greeting cards in each class. Inexpensive little cards with the usual images of baby Jesus in the manger or decorated candles or Christmas Trees with glittery stars. And every year, I bought one. Even if I didn't know anyone to whom I could send a little holiday cheer. But I still invested in a card every year, just so I could have something to pull out of an envelope. 

Every December through January Bapi spent his days mailing New Year cards to distant family, friends and acquaintances.  Diligently, year after year, this practice continued despite the groans of protests from the rest of us. But then, they weren't just two-line greetings. They carried notes and exchanges, sometimes a passing line from Mum and me. They were mini-letters. It's a ritual we've outgrown today, but I still remember it fondly. 

I don't know if I've got them stashed somewhere, but at one time, I even had all my birthday cards saved. Each one. And the last time I went through them all, it was a nice warm and fuzzy feeling. Each card was special and reminiscent of the fun birthday parties, my friends, the gifts....

But today, all I get and lazily resort to are e-cards. With tacky flash animations and sappy old lines.

The only paper cards that drop in my mailbox are the impersonal sale announcements from clothing stores. 

'It's Your Birthday! Get a discount!' 

'It's Diwali! We'll help you burn that hole in your pocket!' 

'Happy New Year! Blah Blah Blah...Sale!'

Thanks to Whatsapp, Facebook and what not, I'm at times so annoyingly within reach so many people that there is hardly any reason for a person to send me a personal email. Constant instant messaging has robbed the beauty of time lapse and hence nobody spends time poring over a piece of paper filling someone in on the goings on in one's life. 

When I walk into a stationery shop and see beautiful handmade paper and envelopes I truly itch to pick up a few, but then what's the point? Do people even have pen pals anymore...?

Posting frandship messages on walls of anonymous folks shouldn't count here. I think, we need to start some sort of club to bring genuine letter lovers and card collectors together. Just so we can keep the tradition alive. Is there one?