Sometimes I Miss Snail Mail

No media review here, just a simple observation about a pop-culture phenomenon that I'm finding somewhat disturbing.  Let me preface this by saying that I value and applaud any attempt at saving paper or other non-renewable products that otherwise help the environment.  I myself recycle and I attempt to print and copy as few papers as possible, and when I do decide to print I at least make the attempt to print double-sided.  Although I try to "go-green" in every sense of the word I do feel that in some cases, and for some documents, it's ok to actually splurge and print the thing out, especially on nice paper. 

Where did this little blurb come from? For the past four months I've been anxiously awaiting my teacher's certification in the mail.  I earned the certification last December when I finished my student teaching, and I was told that I should get in in a month or two.  Little did I know at the time that the Pennsylvania Department of Education but in this new and incredibly inefficient system that delayed me receiving my certification for another two months.  Ok enough of that, so I've been anxiously awaiting a letter/package that says do not fold from the Pennsylvania Department of Education for about two and a half months now until yesterday when a friend of mine texts me to tell me that I have to print my certification of the Education Department's website.  Seriously, print it off? I spent two and a half years of my life and countless hours, not to mention the $100 certification fee, only to print the certification on plain white paper.  Uh-uh, that effort and payment at least deserves some type of fancy seal and some expensive, off-white paper.  What is this world coming to that significant documents such as teaching certifications (Which for all intensive purposes are licenses to teach) can be printed off department websites? I honestly feel like it's fake.  The paper is still sitting on my printer and it just doesn't feel legitimate.  This boring paper that I printed off the internet allows me to shape young minds in the great state of PA along with whatever other states accept PA certifications.  This process really takes away from all of the effort and money that I put into earning my certification.  What a sour end to a very labor-intensive process.

Side note/let's go back in time.  This same thing happened to me nearly three years ago when I received my graduate school acceptance letter in an email.  Same situation involving the anxious waiting, only to open my gmail one day and see a message from my graduate university titled Congratulations! Shocker...I got in.  I remember in high school when I awaited my acceptance letters for undergrad.  A regular envelope was always a bad sign while a large packet-which would likely contain the acceptance letter and all necessary orientation materials-was a much better sign.  Definitely not a fan of the email acceptance letter people.  Call me old school, but I still value snail mail for things like invitations, birthday/holiday cards, and major news such as acceptance letters.  I get that we're going green in many aspects of our lives, but sometimes when important documents are received electronically it just takes away from their intended effect and meaning.  I don't feel like checking for spelling and/or grammar errors because I'm tired, so forgive me because I'm sure this is still legible.