Abigail M. Schilling

Mass mailing cards and letters are serious business. Perhaps I care too much because it's what I spend a lot of time at my j-o-b doing. Or maybe that's my j-o-b because I care too much.

As a child I absolutely loathed when people didn't send pictures with their holiday/end-of-year cards. And my best friend's mom would only send pictures to people who lived far away. And it made me crazy! I wanted a picture of my friend and her hot older brother!

Her theory was that we locals already knew what her children looked like and therefore she should not spend an extra 12 cents on our card to provide a picture. But my theory was hot brother! And also, proof that I had friends!

Also, I always hated pictures that didn't include the whole family. Usually the picture would feature the kids or the family pet in costume. I want to see everybody! I want proof that you all exist! And proof that I have friends!

All of these strong feelings from my childhood have snowballed into my own idealistic desires for my picture and card. Last year (my first year into this foray) I sent a clever picture of myself with a letter about my year.

This year I look exactly the same. I could send the same picture and no one would know. And besides, I should be showing everybody! The dogs! The friends! The family! The housemates!

So I resolved to include all those things. I've formulated an idea but have yet to Photoshop. I've only just begun to slowly craft what exactly that idea could possibly mean. Compact that rumination with my dedication to procrastination and I'll be mailing the card by mid-2007.