I can always tell when the holiday season arrives…we get the first Christmas cards, always from my wife’s hair stylist and my longtime friend and colleague Paul Schneider. They arrive either right before Thanksgiving, or on Black Friday…and with that the season begins.
Those cards…pieces of paper…are both tangible and symbolic and its why I hope we never stop using cards…business cards, holiday cards, birthday cards…even as we get more tech savvy and time challenged.
I talked about the value of cards as a leave behind with a young student this week. I asked him if his school had even suggested he create business cards for himself, and he answered no. UGH. For $28 he can go and created something simple, impactful and unique to him, and it a highly competitive world those little things…hand written, self stylized, can make the difference. While it is easy to email and text personal info those things can also get lost and compromised…I got a message from a longtime colleague yesterday saying his database was compromised and he was now looking to restart all over again so could I forward my details…so the fast at our fingertips world is great, but its not the be all and end all.
At the end of long trips I always still go through my bag and will find a business card or two that was passed along and it serves as a reminder…as does the file I have of business cards over the years. Maybe they are not best for the environment but they are recyclable, and they are thought starters.
Which is why I love Christmas and holiday cards. While digital is OK and is a time save, I always think about the time my friends and colleagues took to write out and send those cards every year. The picture cards especially, and especially as we get older, are so important. They show the progression of time, and the value we have in others to take the time to actually mail something.
Are they necessary? No. Are they important to me, and do they show personal investment in the recipient? Yes. They also provide a moment of pause in a busy season to reflect and remember and cherish those who are important to us…especially those we may not get to see or talk to that often.
So business cards and holiday cards…quaint? Yes. Essential? Maybe. Important? You bet ya. And both are worth the investment.
Now back to my email.
