Las Vegas, NV - 22 Nov 2022
When I checked into this hotel a few days back I found a couple of sheets of letterhead stationery and an envelope with the hotel's return address. Nice. I didn't think that was a thing anymore. I do remember when I was younger many hotels had a pad of stationery in the desk drawer. I haven't seen that in ages. So, I took advantage and wrote a letter off to a pen pal. But why stop with one?
I went down to the check in desk this morning and asked the young lady behind the counter for some more of the stationery. I stress young. She looked at me with bewilderment and confusion.
"You mean, like, note paper?"
"No, stationery - with your hotel's letterhead."
More confusion. "It's for letters. I write letters to people. I mean paper for that."
She looked like she understood and pulled a memo pad from a drawer. Ergh... She signaled for the concierge to come over. He was probably three years her senior. More confusion and bewilderment.
Meanwhile, the other desk clerk finished helping her guest and came over to help.
"Hi, do you have any letterhead stationery?" On which, she immediately went to a cabinet and pulled out a stack with envelopes and handed them to me. I should mention that she was of a generation closer to mine. I took the paper and thanked her. My lesson was to ask someone closer to my age who actually knows what a letter is and what sort of paper one uses to create one.
What do they teach kids in school? I know it isn't handwriting or even printing now. If it isn't done on a keyboard, I guess it's not important. So, what is the postage on a text message anyway? Can I just stick the stamp to my phone's screen or do I scan it somehow?
Keep on truckin'
-Mike
Funny! I wonder how shocked she would've been had you brought the typewriter with you to the front desk?
ReplyDeleteThat's a situation where I would be happy knowing CPR. The concept would blow her mind.
DeleteFunny thoughts Mike. I'm reminded of the stories from others who have reported just how difficult it can be to locate post cards these days. I wouldn't expect our schools to teach such things any longer. I suppose it's possible that hotel stationery might be a bigger deal at the smaller boutique hotels than the larger places.
ReplyDeleteIf someone else makes such a request in the not-too-distant future there where you are staying, maybe the staff will recall your request. But who knows just how much time might pass before someone else actually requests hotel stationery for the purpose of writing a letter (weeks?, months?, years?).
It's true Bill. I found some postcards at the national park, but none in the casinos. It's all about e-mail and text messages these days.
DeleteBeen there; done that. Hotel stationery is a retronym.
ReplyDeleteIt's a sad state of affairs. Maybe something in a museum.
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