subject: No one can ignore a parcel [print this page] No one can ignore a parcel No one can ignore a parcel
So much in our world today is instantly disposable that there is little wonder that the planet is running out of space in which to store everything that we throw away. At least when it comes to communication, when we delete an email from our computers, it is not going to end up in a gigantic hole in the ground.
But the advent of email and instant messaging has been a double-edged sword. Once, receiving a letter was considered an important event. Every last word was devoured, and people would be inspired into action by what they contained. Nowadays, communication is instant. As soon as someone hits the return' key on their keyboard, a message can be simultaneously sent to thousands, even millions of people.
But it isn't a giant leap from this convenience to information overload'. People with less than honest intentions were, understandably, tremendously excited at the prospect of being able to spread their messages around the world from a single computer terminal in their home. And so spam was born.
Now, we live with a constant stream of unwanted messages, and have to negotiate these to get to the ones that really matter. As a result, the time-saving benefits of widespread computer use, and the amazing things they can do, are tempered by us having to wade through a sea of spam in order to find the stuff that is really useful.
In all this haze of communication overload, however, there is still one form of contact which no one ignores a parcel. A parcel has the ability to excite, and to bring a moment of happiness which can be the highlight of someone's day. It can contain almost anything, come in any size or shape, and can even be wrapped brightly and expensively. But the one thing a parcel does do is make the recipient take notice.
Opening a parcel will always take precedence over slicing open the envelopes on another uninspiring pile of mail. Delivering a parcel usually necessitates the person bringing it knocking on the door or ringing the bell and that in itself is enough to create a feeling of anticipation for many people certainly much more so that hearing the letterbox slam shut when the post arrives.
The sender of a parcel, too, will nowadays often get a message themselves as soon as a parcel has been signed for by its recipient and to them, that means a job well done. And for many people, there is little else that they would ask for.
Express mail delivery specialists spend their days making other people's days. And it's easy to call on them. They can be contacted online, and an international parcel can be on its way in no time.
