Word Count: 406
Every store has card aisles. In every Dollar Tree or 99 Cent store, even in Target or Walmart, it is guaranteed that there will be a select couple of aisles dedicated to cards. Every possible occasion; birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, graduation, etc, warrants a card. However, feelings of celebration or gratitude previously displayed primarily in cards, are now being shown through other means. It is now becoming customary to wish friends and family members feelings of gratitude or happiness via a celebratory Instagram story, or a new addition to their timeline on Facebook. It is a public display of affection and thankfulness that is versatile and trendy. In this new tech savvy era, a handwritten card’s value is taken into question, in comparison the possibilities provided through social media.
On one hand, cards can be considered old and outdated. A majority of gift recipients just skim through a card’s contents and proceed to gift unwrapping. In comparison to a public post of admiration featuring the same message, a card may seem obsolete. Many people cringe at Hallmark's cheesy messages or throw away a seemingly meaningless piece of paper.
However, these posts are temporary. Most disappear within a day, along with the texts and messages. Subsequently, cards don’t have an expiration date. They serve as a memory for a time in your life such as a birthday or wedding, and preserve an important person’s, friend’s, or family member’s thoughts and wishes. At the end of the day, their own handwriting and message is tangible, whereas digital forms of expression, even if made permanent, are just mere pixels. They don’t contain as much emotional value. In reference to my own experiences, while I appreciated posts commemorating my birthday, I will always have the memory of trying to read my Grandma’s Spanish cursive each year. I would always look forward to receiving cards from her, as it showed her effort into the present and how much she cared about me. These cards from her were so valuable looking back and I wished I would’ve thought to have kept them as a keepsake and reminder of her love. Without my Grandma here now, her birthday cards are just one of the many things that serve as a valuable reminder of her and her love. Digital posts are incapable of these effects. While in this era, most things are being replaced by better alternatives, you can’t replace the value of handwritten cards.
Your introduction made me visualize all those stores with all of the isles dedicated to cards, which I thought was such a good hook into reading the rest of your writing. I also really like how you included a counterargument that was quickly refuted. Good job!
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