A Last Frontier

Book excerpt: Today messages are sent with the click of a mouse. Few of us have time anymore to sit down and hand write a letter. E-mail is in and with the press of a key the written words disappear as if they had never been. Sadly the handwritten letter is becoming a thing of the past.In 1955 when two young starry-eyed Americans left to take up their post in northeast Thailand with the United States Information Agency there was no such thing as E-mail. Had there been this memoir would not exist. In Korat, Thailand communication by means other than a letter required advance planning, practice and patience. An overseas call had to be reserved in advance. The call was made from a radio station via short wave. It was a frustrating exercise in speak, stop, over and listen, speak, stop, over and listen. Letters took two, sometimes three weeks to arrive; thus answers to questions came six weeks after the fact. Despite the time lapse our weekly letters home were treasured, passed around and saved. Today these letters tell the story of a different time, a distant place and a forgotten era.