Random Acts of Cardness
Sending Postcards to Strangers to Brighten Their Day
During the COVID-19 pandemic, staying connected was vital for many people’s sanity. To many people, staying connected from a distance included social media, texting, and video calls. But one way that many might view as unusual is staying connected via old fashioned snail mail.
About a year ago, during the height of the pandemic, I stumbled onto r/RandomActsofCards, a subreddit dedicated to sending postcards all across the world. This community of more than 76,000 has citizens from every corner of the world. Representing six continents and hundreds of countries, it’s a large community of people that just want to stay connected. And with no need for masks or social distancing, it’s the perfect pandemic activity.
The idea is simple. You can offer, request, or exchange cards (and only cards — they are very strict on this) for any reason, with any willing user. There are offers of birthday wishes for friends and families, requests for life advice and funny stories, and cultural recipe exchanges, among many others. Members simply create posts detailing their offer or request and then private message with those interested.
While this idea of sending and receiving cards is probably appealing to many people, some might ask about privacy concerns, especially when it comes to sharing…
