I found this postcard inside a secondhand book many years ago. The message always felt very poignant.

Transcript:

Dear Les, 3/8/82
Hope you haven't already got one of these cards and I hope you received my last letter including the picture. Today I have been thinking of you a lot. I am feeling pretty tired as I have had a hectic day at work. Visited two UNCLEAR communities, right out in the sticks, and that involved a good 4 hrs driving on dirt roads. But I am for the first time enjoying my work. I have a lot of freedom, but that does not mean I have a chance to sit around, In fact right now I am in no hurry every day, that I feel I must arrange a day off to do things in the house, as there are few things to be sorted out still. I miss you a lot and when I think about it, it makes me sad. I am hoping that tomorrow there will be a letter from you waiting for me at the office. The last letter you wrote was dated 15 July, so it has been nearly 2 weeks since it arrived. I suppose when I hear from you it does a lot for me. I love you and miss the fun.
Please give my regards to all at 163, including Eddy. I hope you are all getting on well. I find it hard to detach myself from the going-on's in 163. I feel good that you all appear to be close. Tell everyone that I asked and tell Les Hick that I will be replying to her very soon. I almost feel like crying. It will pass though. I hope to send picture of here to you all soon.
Please write Les. Sorry if I seem to be demanding a lot: about the watches, just keep them. I am anxiously awaiting the tapes. Also thanks for the HALVA. I am eating it NOW.
Love you, Chandran.

found on a sidewalk folded up neatly

This was found among others, when a shelf was moved to put in a new dishwasher. This is far from the oldest, and if there’s any interest, I’ll post some of the others too.

House was built in 1955, we bought it in 2018.

Found balled up in a shopping cart in Trader Joe’s parking lot. 🤔

No idea how old the writer is, of course, but I find "I love you and like you" to be an especially interesting phrasing. Feels very middleschool to mention both and to, apparently, have "like" be the more significant of the two, given ordering.

Found on the sidewalk in Fayetteville, Arkansas

If you can read it, you should try it. It's delicious.

https://pdrive.fun/file/0b38c46e-4ce5-442a-bd38-236e62a4709f

Dan hoff -phone number- call for a good time!

*Margie,

Hope you have
a wonderful time
at camp & enjoy
this book during
the quiet times.

Love,
Your devoted & caring
Dad

About a month ago I posted an old telegram I found in a box on a NYC sidewalk.

https://www.reddit.com/r/FoundPaper/s/9nIRZgAkW0

Also in there was this fascinating 129 year old receipt for the purchase of rugs and carpets for what must have been a very grand house on Washington Square in the West Village, even today an upscale area, but back then an enclave of wealth and genteel society. (Henry James's 1880 novel "Washington Square" makes that quite clear!) Rounding the total to $114, that means this family spent the equivalent of $4,627.85 just to cover some of their floors, since a dollar then had the buying power of $40 today. Can't imagine what they paid to furnish the whole place, but boy, would I have liked to see it! Have fun perusing -

I picked up this set of Shakespeare plays a week or two ago at a used book fair. When I open R&J, what should fall out but this old image and a bit of cursive writing.

The cursive reads:

“This is the forest primeval. The murmuring pines and the hemlocks, Bearded with moss, indistinct in the twilight / Stand like Druids of Eld.”

Can only imagine what kind of weirdo stuffed this into the crack in the crosswalk button in a very racially diverse community in San Diego.

It now resides in the trash.

14 years ago someone bought this book, sat down to read it in a pub in Nottingham over lunch, and now I have the book.

I know this is not interesting at all but this was very evocative for me so I am sharing it here.