an envelope + a stamp
A messy desk glittered with western-themed stamps, damp paint brushes, dollops of undried watercolor paint, a stack of multicolored envelopes, a black retractable gel-ink pen, and a haphazard pile of sticker sheets. My collection of simple pleasures, letter writing was a fervent habit born out of times of undue stress and fear during the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic - a time oversaturated with virtual communication and a lack of anything tangible.
Such relief and satisfaction would be delivered to my door, knowing that someone else tenderly folded the notebook paper in half, slipped it into an envelope covered in flowers, and paid for its travel across state lines. Just to hold an artifact that was once of someone else, but now belonged to me, fulfilled my desperate need for human interaction and affection.
A first-class forever stamp costs 63¢
While ‘snail mail’ is now an antiquated practice, its revival in my life has led to so much joy and immense feelings of gratitude for others who are willing to participate with me, and for the practice itself. But a lot of my letters were left without replies, some were even lost, and maybe a few were even left unread on the whole. Rather than mourning an unsuccessful exchange, I would find comfort in the idea that once I slipped an envelope into the mailbox, the life of that letter was so far beyond my control. I hold no grudges against those who aren’t inclined to participate; I find no delight in pressuring someone else into a pleasure that doesn’t suit them. But unanswered letters left me with the question: what do others deem a simple pleasure?
To preface
We all lead external and internal lives, whether similar or plagued with deviation. Regardless of how close we get to others, we can never fully know everything. These flash fiction scraps in this collection are meant to reflect the fragmented and fleeting ways we know and interact with others. These nuggets of narrative depict how we connect, what we perceive, what goes unnoticed, and what we assume. These pieces can be thought of as character bios that go where they aren’t supposed to go – the intimate concentrated bits that you wouldn’t necessarily glean at first glance. While the stories and simple pleasures in this collection are inspired by people I know, elements I’ve observed, and conversations I’ve had, certain components have been fictionalized for dramatization purposes. Any similarity to the name, character, or history is entirely coincidental and unintentional.