Today's Review: Postcards

I've just returned from a week in Tenerife, and aside from the sun, sea, sand and swimming pools, I also hit the shops, because my snack hunting head never rests. There was the usual fare spread throughout the outlets I went to. Sunglasses, hats, souvenirs. I can get on board with those. But there's one oddity I can't quite get on board with, it's a prevalent holiday tradition that doesn't make a lot of sense to me, and that is the postcard.

Sending someone a postcard sounds like a nice enough idea. "I'm on holiday, let me pick a picture of a local landmark or a nice landscape, and send it off to my loved ones to let them know I'm okay". Receiving a postcard, not so great. "Oh, look at this lovely place that I'm not in. Oh, you're having a nice time? Well done. Wish I was here? Well, I'm not, am I?". A postcard is like a transcribed boast that's hand delivered to you, the postman might as well slap you in the face while he's at it.

Sure, I understand not all postcards need to be proclaiming the virtues of the holiday, but it's not like they leave much room for anything else. It's the norm to write what a nice time you're having, and it's not like it's initiating a conversation. The sender has no permanent address, and there's not space on a postcard to write one anyway. Not that it matters anyway, the recipient isn't on holiday, they're boring, we wish they were here.

I realise my cynicism is shining through again. I'm sure some people enjoy receiving postcards, they enjoy keeping them to see where their loved ones have been. But the whole endeavour just seems like a slap in the face to me, and given the state of technology now I'd rather just message people wherever they are, rather than receive a small piece of card that says what an amazing time they're having without me. Postcards are a confusing relic of days gone by.

My rating: 1/5