Boring Pen Pals

Do you have any boring pals? What do you do when you find a new pal and the letters are just absolutely boring and difficult for you to respond to? Melanie wrote to say:

"My problem is how to drop a pal that is not interesting. I always feel bad. I don't want to waste my postage writing to someone who only writes a few lines & talks mostly about the weather. Thanks! Melanie "

Rachel Ann - I have several friends who write short, almost nothing there letters. I still keep them on. Sometimes all I'm in the mood for is a short letter, and all I can write is a couple of lines; I'm tired, or nothing much is happening at home, or my carpal tunnel is acting up.Sometimes I try and make "something from nothing" like that song. I will ask questions on the simplest statements to try and get the ball rolling a bit. Or I will try and ask an original question that will, I hope, stir some more developed response ---"What is the best gift you can give your family?" or the type of questions you might find on a slam "name five foods you hate to eat" or things like that. If the person speaks a different language try asking them to write a few words in that language. If in a different country, to share a recipe. Some people are better at responding then they are at originating.

Cathy R.- Try sending a letter the way they sent you one and maybe they will get the hint to write more or not write at all.

Lisa S - If you really need to end things, the best is to say something like "I need to cut back on my pen palling at this time, I wish you the best and maybe we can catch up sometime in the future." That way it's not putting anything negative out there and you won't hurt feelings.

Rose Louise in England - I have had several 'boring pals' - a few of those have been very boring!!! However of those several pals I went on to discover that 2 of them were very disabled. It was a problem for them to type & even more of a problem for them to handwrite. Hence they could only manage a few sentences. After a little bit of patience on my part, I have now established a long term friendship with these 2 girls & I understand why they write the type of letters they do. Whilst I discarded the gals that wrote such letters without reason I kept these 2 ladies on as pen pals as why should they be deprived of the joys of penpalling. So what I would say is ask a few subtle but probing questions as to why they write such letters then decide. There could be a genuine reason.