Letter Writer of the Month - Mike
The London Letters Pen Pal Club began its life in 2019 with the hope of bringing together letter writing enthusiasts from across the globe to celebrate the joy of receiving letters and the power of the written word.
Over the years we've grown slowly but surely in numbers each week, and we're so proud to now be a 900+ community of snail mailers! We have members from different countries, ages, religions, sexualities, political views, careers, disabilities, and genders - and whilst our differences vary dramatically, we are all united by a love of letters.
'Letter Writer of the Month' is a monthly journal entry where we invite one member from the club to give us an insight into their journey with letters. Some have always been letter writers from a young age, others only began when they signed up to the club. Our members all have a unique story to tell, and we hope you'll love getting to hear it.
Our Letter Writer of the Month for September is Mike.
" I keep pen and paper with me at all times so that I can write when the mood strikes. Thankfully, it strikes often. Before I leave for work each day, I write my wife Lynn a love note and place it by the coffee machine so it is the first thing she sees in the morning."
Name: Mike
Age: 69
Job Title: Former Navy Captain, now retired
Location: Virginia, USA
Member since: May 2025
Tell us a little about yourself and how you became interested in letter writing?
We moved a great deal while I was growing up and I have continued to move every 2-3 years until about 8 years ago. To stay in touch with my family and the friends I have made along the way, I wrote. My longest running pen pal relationship is a friend from middle school in 1967 – 58 years is a good long time to sustain any correspondence. Still, I am always happy to add a pen pal at any time and London Letters paired me with several wonderful pen pals. Last year I managed to write over 1500 cards, notes and letters. I believe that I am personally responsible for keeping the United States Postal Service afloat.
What is it about letters that you think makes them special?
They are tangible and tactile. I empty e-mail to the trash daily. I find it terribly hard to let go of a letter. I like the feel of the paper and I especially like the feel of a good pen making contact with a quality paper. Through letters, you are sharing yourself with another person and hopefully brightening their day.
What type of things do you write in letters compared to digital communications?
I am the worst e-mailer in the world. I can’t write more than a line or two in an e-mail. My texts are even worse. I frustrate some people who e-mail or text me because I will tell them I am responding by post and I do. In handwritten letters I usually give them a rundown of the week my wife Lynn and I have had on our hobby farm. We have an 1899 farmhouse and 35 acres that we have been working on for 8 years. Many of my letters recount the progress we have made and the work ahead of us. There is so much to tell people about – bears, coyotes, foxes, deer, raised bed gardens, wildflower fields, honeybee hives in Lynn’s apiary, the beauty of chickens, and so much more
Do you have a favourite letter, either famous or one you have received personally?
The U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald H. Rumsfeld wrote me a short letter at the end of my time as his Staff Director for the Abu Ghraib Detainee Abuse Task Force. It was the most miserable job I had in my 30-year Navy career. The things that occurred in our detention facilities devastated him and he offered his resignation to President Bush twice. In his letter to me, he simply acknowledged that we had worked hard together during that awful time and he appreciated my effort. Most people would have wanted a medal. Not me! Nothing could have pleased me more than his letter. 21 years later it remains a treasure. It was not a Secretary of Defense letterhead letter, it came from Donald H. Rumsfeld – the man. He is a man I came to respect deeply.
Do you feel any positive benefits to your mental health when you write?
It’s something I do every day. One of the people I write (Kiran Sidhu) said it’s in our DNA and I have to agree wholeheartedly. I can’t not write. I keep pen and paper with me at all times so that I can write when the mood strikes. Thankfully, it strikes often. Before I leave for work each day, I write my wife Lynn a love note and place it by the coffee machine so it is the first thing she sees in the morning.
Describe your letter writing set up. Do you have a favourite pen or paper? Where are you when you're writing?
My wife Lynn worked in a gift store that sold Mont Blanc pens. I have about a dozen of them and a few Waterman pens. Then, I have a $3.00 Pilot Preppy fine tip that I use for most of my fountain pen writing. The Mont Blancs and the Waterman have been idle for years. My favorite pens are the Pilot multi-color Colettos. I give them as gifts to friends and strangers alike because I think everyone should know how a good pen writes. They are as smooth as silk for gel pens. Of course, I use London Letters writing papers and notes, as well as Crane and Clairfontaine.
What made you sign up to our pen pal club and take a leap of faith by writing to a stranger?
I found that my pen pals Liz Kentish, Alison Hitchcock, The Liz Maguire, and Alan Cleaver had joined and I didn’t want to miss a thing. And, I find that once you’ve written a stranger, you’ve likely made a new friend. Such is the case with all of them.
Do you believe letters still have a place in modern society?
I can’t imagine letters ever not having a place in society. Letters are like oxygen to me. I must have it. And I will provide oxygen to all who will accept it.
What role do you think letters will play in the future?
As long as there are people like us, letters will be around for some time. I have written to many strangers and am delighted to hear from them that their response to me might be their first letter in quite some time.
What would you say to someone to encourage them to give letter writing a try?
Give it a try. It’s not for everyone. I will tell you that every letter writer I have met is a kind person. I have been described as a “weird and obsession handwritten letter writing fanatic” and added that to my profile on “X”. The act of writing requires a little bit of selflessness because you are giving of your personal time and your thoughts. These two things are exclusively yours. To share your time and your thoughts is a very kind gesture. My personal motto is “Kindness Always, in all ways.”
A huge thank you to our Mike for his time, and we hope you enjoyed getting to know him! Why not take that leap of faith and join our pen pal club too? We're always open to new members, you can learn more about the club here.