On my way to watch a soccer game with my friend Steve and several others, I left an envelope on the seat of a Metro car as I exited the train at Stadium Armory. I think it was the Orange Line, but it could have been Blue or Silver. Hopefully this made someone’s day.
“Always borrow money from a pessimist. He won’t expect it back.” –Oscar Wilde
Here’s $10 for you – I don’t expect it back either. Research shows that everyone enjoys opening letters that have cash inside. Enjoy!
Posted in Anonymous
Tagged $10, anonymous letters, cash, embossing, handwriting, handwritten letters, Metro, money, Oscar Wilde, Paper Source, quotes, research, Year of Letters
I love going to baseball stadiums to watch America’s pastime. There’s something nostalgic for me, something that brings me back to my childhood when I hear the crack of the bat or catch a waft of hot dogs and spilled beer.
When I was 12 my Dad took me to see the New York Mets play the Houston Astros in Game 5 of the National League playoffs. Back then it was Shea Stadium, now they play at Citi Field. I’m no longer a die-hard Mets fan, in fact, I’m actually more of a Nationals fan today, but I have a soft spot for the Mets.
As I am in New York, I decided to head out to the ballpark and watch the Mets take on the St. Louis Cardinals. I thought it would be fun to leave a letter at the stadium for some unsuspecting fan. My ticket was up on the 400 level and I wanted to leave the letter up there, instead of down on the lower levels where people certainly didn’t need the money – oh, I almost forgot to mention, I left a ten-spot in the letter.
The game was fun, even though the Mets got crushed 10-2 by the Cardinals. Maybe we’ll hear from the lucky fan who found my letter.
I had to write this note on hotel stationery. I also tucked $10 in the envelope so that the finder could treat themselves to a beer or some snacks.
“90% of my salary I’ll spend on good times, women and Irish whiskey. The other 10% I’ll probably waste.”
-Tug McGraw
Former New York Mets Pitcher
Ballgames can be tough on your wallet – here’s a few bucks to help you out. Get yourself a hotdog, beer or a pretzel. Or buy something for someone else.
Enjoy!
Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged $10, anonymous, baseball, Citi Field, handwritten letters, hotel stationery, New York, New York Mets, quotes, travel, Tug McGraw
Photo: Starbucks.com
Wow, it’s easy to get behind on posting to the blog. Don’t worry though…the letters are still going out, at least one a day.
Today I’m sharing my letter to Starbucks Chairman and CEO Howard Schultz. You may recall a few months ago the coffee giant launched an initiative called Race Together. The results were mixed at best (I’m being kind – it received some very strong criticism), but I commend Mr. Schultz and Starbucks for taking the risk.
Dear Howard,
About two months ago, Starbucks launched the Race Together initiative. While I know that the results were not what you hoped for, I want to congratulate you for being bold enough to take on this topic. From his jail cell in Birmingham, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. wrote, “We will have to repent in this generation not merely for the hateful words and actions of the bad people but for the appalling silence of the good people.” Thank you for breaking the silence.
Coffee shops have their roots in bringing people together for conversation. You attempted to help facilitate a dialogue that we desperately need. While Baltimore and Ferguson are easy to focus on, we need not look further than our own neighborhoods to see that we still have a long way to go to improve racial harmony in our country.
I generally hold disdain for corporate leaders who use their status to further agendas that fall outside of their stated responsibilities to shareholders, but when the issues are as paramount and universal as race, equality or conservation – I feel it is not only your right, but your duty to help bring people together, break down discriminatory practices and operate in a sustainable manner.
Keep up the good work and let me know what I can do to help.
Best,
Reed
P.S. I wrote this letter to you over a doppio espresso at the Starbucks at Connecticut and R in Northwest Washington, D.C.
Posted in Congratulations
Tagged coffee, diversity, espresso, handwritten letters, Martin Luther King, Paper Source, quotes, race, race relations, Starbucks, Year of Letters
Writing my letter at Starbucks.
April 15th means it’s the deadline to file your taxes. Well, not really. You can file for an extension. Anyway, it is understandable that today could be a bit depressing as you think about how much money you are handing over to the government so I thought I would try to do something nice for a stranger.
I left this letter at the Starbucks at the corner of 22nd and K Street in Washington DC. Inside I tried something different – I put a $5 gift card. It’s not much, but perhaps it will lift their spirits if they’re having a bad day.
I added the quote by Paula Poundstone – I thought it was funny and I met her a few years ago. She was great. I hope that starting out my note with “The wages of sin” doesn’t scare away the person who finds this by causing them to think that I’m some nut lurking across the Starbucks who is going to come up to them later and start preaching to them.
“The wages of sin are death, but by the time taxes are taken out, it’s just sort of a tired feeling.” – Paula Poundstone
Hopefully you’re not feeling too tired today…but in case you are, have some coffee on me. As we “celebrate” tax day – I hope this small letter and gift will help make your day a happy one.
Enjoy!
Posted in Anonymous
Tagged anonymous letters, handwritten letters, Paper Source, paula poundstone, quotes, Starbucks, Year of Letters
I am in State College, PA today – the home of Penn State University. I decided to leave an anonymous letter at one of my favorite places here: Berkey Creamery.
As a land grant school, Penn State has a long history with agriculture. The Berkey Creamery opened exactly 150 years ago – that’s the main reason I stopped in, not for the ice cream, but to pay tribute to a historical institution.
They sell ice cream, butter, cheese, milk – they pretty much have any dairy product you can imagine. Their ice cream is delicious. Legend has it that on average only four days elapse between the cow and your newly dipped cone. That’s pretty awesome. My favorite flavor is the Cookies N Cream – a rich vanilla with chunks of Oreo cookies mixed together.
I left the letter on my chair. Two men quickly sat down – but I don’t think they saw the letter. They were too distracted by the massive mounds of ice cream that were piled on the cake cone. I don’t blame them. Hopefully someone finds the letter and drops us a note here on the blog.
I repurposed a colorful bag from the Paper Source to make the liner of this envelope.
“A person won’t remember if you send a thank you note, and they won’t forget if you don’t.”
-Mary Watt New
Hopefully receiving this will brighten your day and inspire you to send someone a handwritten note.
Posted in Anonymous
Tagged anonymous, Berkey Creamery, ice cream, Penn State, quotes, State College, Year of Letters