Have you or would you ever agree to be someones penpal?..

United States
April 19, 2009 8:47pm CST
I have a friend who has gotten wind of a few men in iraq who veary seldomly have there names called during mail call.She asked if I knew anyone wh would be intrested in being a penpal to these guys.So I have given out the addresses to a few of my friends and I have written 2 letter so far and will be working on the other tommorow... This is the first time ive really ever been a penpal to someone. I at first was paranoid about putting my return address since I do not have a p.o box..But i did it and I have sent my letter off.... Have you or would you ever concider being someones penpal if you did not have a p.o for it to be sent to??...
3 people like this
12 responses
@ketybhagat (4123)
• India
20 Apr 09
Oh yes, when I was in School, i had a penpal from Iran. He was my pen pal for many many years and we had a wonderful rapport. We would write to each other regularly and he was my best friend then. That was in th time of Shah of Iran, where Iran was very liberal. The moment Khomeni took over, I lost a very good friend, for Im sure he would not be allowed to write to a female in India. But being penfriends is not bad. One has to just be careful, since the community is Muslim and conservative. Im sure it will be ok. Just be careful. Cheers.
1 person likes this
• India
22 Apr 09
I certainly hope so, for someday I plan to visit Iran. Maybe by now he must have become a dad of 10+ kids. lol. I'll let you know if ever i get to know him again. thanks.
• United States
21 Apr 09
Wow that totaly sucks you lost a good friend when things changed over there. Mabey one day youll find him again:)
@sbeauty (5865)
• United States
21 Apr 09
I think this is a wonderful idea and would love to do something like that. These poor guys who have no one to write to them have to feel really lonely so far from home. I know how much I loved getting mail when I was in college, and I wasn't living the lifestyle our service people have to live. I seriously doubt that anyone who is in the military would do anything to harm a person who befriended him via letters. I don't trust many people these days, but there are times when you just need to have faith in someone. Think about the good you're doing for someone else instead of worrying about possible consequences for yourself.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Apr 09
I totaly agree with you... and am glad to see someone else feels like I do. If you are intrested in writing a letter to someone just let me know:) I can get information from a friend and an address for you...
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
20 Apr 09
I've never been a penpal, but I have been a email pen pal before. Of course this was when I was younger and was just getting on the internet. It was a lot of fun though, I don't keep in contact with them any longer. I think though that if it were for the troops I would consider doing it, however, I'd be weary about not having a P.O. Box so I wouldn't do it now.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Apr 09
Yea.I defiantly need a p.o box for this.. I think that the next person I write to I wont write untill I have a p.o box... I have twp addresses the one I have already sent out as you know but the other one I could wait untill then.. If you ever get a p.o box and are intrested in this just send me an email. I wont be leaving mylot for a long while im sure.lol
• Philippines
20 Apr 09
I think there's nothing wrong with it. My auntie have a strong relative right now that was started as penpal. When it comes to love, I believe there would be nothing impossible.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Apr 09
Oh no there is no love there. I dont even know this guy whom i am writing to as a penpal i just know he is in iraq right now and is in the army...
@vivianchen (2646)
• China
20 Apr 09
Well, i won't mind to be someones panpal. I still think wirtting some things by your hand is total different feeling than typing the words by the computer. I love to receive the letters wrtitten by someone. I don't know, just a feeling that it's more sincerely and more like real communication through the heart.
• United States
21 Apr 09
I do agree with you on this one. It does mean more when someone takes the time to sit down and write you a letter. taking time out of your day for them is always a nice feeling.the feeling that someone cares.
• Indonesia
20 Apr 09
When I was 15 years old, I had my friend from Australia. He was kind and like to help. Exactly, he was the helper. When I crash out, he waited me in hospital until he was sleepy and down to sleep. He's name was Albert and now he go back to Australia. Do you know, he was just my penpal who want to go visiting me... I never forgot...
• United States
21 Apr 09
wow that is awesome!. It makes me happy to hear of how people have had good friends in there past. makes me sad to think of anyone who couldnt experience this and was alone.
@dfollin (25351)
• United States
20 Apr 09
Oh,of course.I used to belong to a penpal club.I made alot of great friends thru that club.Most of my friends there were older or shut ins with medical problems.I ended up having to drop out of the club because I could not afford the dues or had the time to answer all the penpals that wrote to me.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Apr 09
Yea that sucks.... I guess if you dont have time to reply theres no point. mabey somtime youll beable to get back to doing it. I know there plenty of men and woman in the military that would love to have there name called out when mail call comes around..
@laydee (12798)
• Philippines
20 Apr 09
First, at this day of age, I would feel 'weird' to be going through penfriends or penpals because there are other mediums which are faster and 'safer' not to mention that you can really talk to the person live and see him/her too, so why settle for a handwritten/typewritten letter and a picture that may or may not be the person? Similarly, I'd think it could be dangerous to give out your return address because they can track you down. If you don't like them anymore, you have no escape. It'll be safer if you had a P.O. Box.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Apr 09
yea,thats why I was kinda afriad to do so.. I have now. But I also think that if he wasnt a safe person that my friend would have been told and wouldnt have asked me to write him at all. so i dk mabey he has email or messenger but I wont know untill he recieves that letter....
@katkat (2378)
• Philippines
20 Apr 09
I don't think I'm really into that, but perhaps I could consider e-mail rather than using my address or a p.o. box. And I don't think I have the time for that not that I deemed it trivial. It's just right now much is going on but I allot a time to write to my friends since we rarely see each other, once a year if we're quite lucky.
• United States
21 Apr 09
Yea I wil agree email is much more convienient but like I said hes in iraq and I dont know if he even has internet access were he is.... I would of liked to have a p.o box but i dont:( sorry to hear you dont get to write to your friends veary often..
• United States
20 Apr 09
I wrote pen letters to another student in Germany when I was younger. It was something set up by the school though... so we knew the people we were writing to were who they said they were. I think with the age of the internet, we've lost the art of written letters. I think I'd consider writing penpal letters to someone again sometime. It would have to be someone I knew without a doubt was a real, trustworthy person though.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Apr 09
Yea I can understand that. I think he is who he is because someone from his unit has set this up for people to write to him there in iraq..
@jugsjugs (12967)
20 Apr 09
i know someone who had a penpal it caused a lot of trouble for her.she had her penpal turn up on her door step as she put her address on it.i would not have a penpal this day and age.you never know all about them as with my friend he ended up stalking her and was nothing like his photo.
1 person likes this
• United States
20 Apr 09
I would if I had the time to. And if I had no other means to converse with the outside world. I think IM'ing killed the penpal.
1 person likes this
• United States
21 Apr 09
Well alot fo the times the guys in iraq dont really have the oppertunity to get online and converse with people because of the way the computer set up for them is. and if im correct I do beleive they have to pay for the time on the net and get it in like incraments of 30 minutes but can stay longer if no one is behind them. It could be diffrent for diffrent people I have no idea. plus it means more for someoen to actually sit down and take the time to write a handwritten letter oppose to a conversation on the internet..