IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS

Do you remember learning how to address an envelope? Is addressing a letter a topic you remember being taught in school? It’s been a long time since I was taught proper writing etiquette, yet it sticks with me.

When I received an envelope with the return address stamped with stylish font, to me, what stood out more was the order of the names. The man’s name came first and then his wife’s name.

I wondered if they were taught the correct way to address an envelope in parochial schools, more than a generation after I attended public school. That was where I learned the proper order to post a couple’s names, handwritten, of course.

I can hear the old schoolmarm now, instructing the class to address the envelope to Mr. and Mrs. but when you write the letter, the woman’s name comes first. Does anyone else remember learning that?

Much like the food pyramid we had drilled into our heads in grammar (elementary) school, which did a flip, has grammatical etiquette changed while I wasn’t looking? Thinking about it, I don’t remember ever receiving mail addressed to “Mrs. and Mr.,” yet I often see letters addressed and notes signed off with the man’s name first.

Is it just me? Is the more casual way of using first names, instead of Mr. and Mrs., that makes the return address correct when stamping the man’s given name first, in place of Mr.?

When you receive a letter or a thank you note and see the man’s name before the woman’s, does it jump out at you? That made me quite curious. To enter your thoughts in the comments section follow this easy guide.

Simply type your name in the
comments section under the
blog post. You then will be
able to click “comment as
guest (it will illuminate once
text is entered).” You do not
need to fill out an email address or URL.