When I was a teenager, I loved reading Richard Brautigan stories. He had a character in A Confederate General at Big Sur that wrote many letters in the novel and used the closing “As Always,”. For years that was the closing I used, it amused me to write it when everything in my life seemed to be changing constantly. As usual, it never entertained anyone else as much as it delighted me. I stopped using “As Always,” as a closing for letters when it became true in my life.

Lex sent me the following letter that Ben Franklin wrote to a friend of 30 years. It just makes me happy. Here is a guy who believed in his cause and wrote accordingly:

The text transcript:

Philada. July 5. 1775

Mr. Strahan

You are a Member of Parliament, and one of that Majority which has doomed my Country to Destruction. You have begun to burn our Towns and murder our People. — Look upon your hands! They are stained with the Blood of your Relations! — You and I were long Friends:— You are now my Enemy, — and

I am,

Yours.

B. Franklin

Wow, now that’s great writing.

When you sign off your letters and notes, do you have anything special you write? Understand that our communication helps define us. If you want to be all business with no sense of humor, that’s fine, but you miss an opportunity to both raise your value and to have fun. Leave a comment with any thoughts.

For the last few years, I’ve just ended all my correspondence with “Thanks,” because I really am grateful for all the help I seem to get in this life. I am considering jazzing that up a bit, though. Let me know if you have any thoughts. Thanks, Ned

PS: I have a previous post about Richard Brautigan and his final signing off with style, probably the most creative suicide note ever written.