Dear Meat

Letter Posting Will Be Delayed!

Wed, 22 Feb 2012 02:32:43 -0500

For a few days while I take care of personal matters.

If you need/want to contact me for any reason, please email me at dearmeatpostoffice@gmail.com

Happy Writing!

- Matt Hocker

Dear numskull,

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 21:19:24 -0500

I’m being asphyxiated by you at this point. I just want to, once and for all just tell you everything that you should have had coming for you for the past decade and here it is.

…

You’re worth that much thought.

yours truly,
Getting over you.

Dear [Name I Don't Think I Remember Correctly],

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 02:06:31 -0500

We met only a few days ago in the line for a discussion on Yaoi at an anime convention known as Katsucon—the discussion being hosted by a famous voice actor. I was only going with friends in a sense of irony (and maybe some curiosity), but you really enjoyed the topic! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, and you were really cool to talk with about it and in general! We laughed and had a great time, and the event itself ended up being interesting, vibrant and fun. Through the course of our discussion, though, I forgot to ask you for how I could contact you in the future; I only left you with my name and a website to find me.

I really regret that.

You mentioned you were bad with names—so am I. I can only guess at what I believe you said your name was. And when I looked it up, there were so many renditions of it that I think it might be impossible to find you.

Maybe if I’m incredibly lucky, you’ll come across this, recognize who I am, and find a way to contact me.

I hope you’re not as bad with names as I am.

Sincerely,
[Name I Definitely Know But Sharing It Wouldn’t Be Thematic Based On Who I’m Writing To]

Post Office Project Updates!

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:19:00 -0500

The month is almost over, and we’re still hoping to get as many letters as possible for Jessica. You can find more information on this month’s Post Office Project here. Please write a letter! Your words can make a difference.

We are also currently accepting applications for next month’s Post Office Project. If you, or someone you know, could use letters of support, you can find more information here.

Happy writing!

- Matt Hocker

P.S. In addition, if you’d like to contact me personally, about Dear Meat, Dear Meat’s Post Office Project and so on, you can email me at dearmeatpostoffice@gmail.com .

hey guys

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 19:08:14 -0500

im sorry but soon i will leave this town and never look back again, especially if my parents move. I wish you all well but please let me flourish in my new life, without you. Dont try to contact me, i need to make a new life for myself, without my depression, which you all are a daily reminder of. I know i am distraught, restess, and tearing at the seams but in my new life these people dont have to know me for that. My beauty will be from good karma, not from pain. I am leaving this town, i am leaving you all, and i am forgetting about this life i once lived. Im sorry i did not tell you about this sooner, but this town has made me lose hope in my dearest friends, the ones i love most, but i wanted you to be happy with me for as long as i could. I have hated these past four years and each of you have contributed greatly to every part of me still in denial. Ive been dead for a long time now. This joy has not come from a true happiness, it has come solely the excitement of leaving this all — leaving you all. This town has made me sick. I never meant to hurt you, but its hard to identify truly what we mean these days.
I love you all.
I loved you all.

pickle

Dear Sanity,

Sun, 19 Feb 2012 03:30:37 -0500

How many times are you going to threaten to leave before you actually walk out that door? The first time you threatened me was right out of high school. I realized I didn’t have or want a purpose in life and I wanted to give up and die. Then the first girl came along and I loved her just enough to realize what had been missing to keep me sane, but she didn’t last long and you started packing your bags again. Then just a few months later I found her. She was the one, my purpose. She was everything, so you started unpacking again. However it didn’t take you long to start looking for the door again did it? You polluted my mind with thoughts of jealousy and fear. You made it consume me and my relationship. Now she is gone as well and you have one foot out of the door. You knew that without her there would be nothing left for me to hold on to and you would be able to leave me broken and in pain. Every step you take from the door I slip farther and farther into the dark. I don’t know how much longer I can stand the constant thoughts of her and the emptiness you make me feel inside. I wish you would come back and bring her with you.

Sincerely,

The insane.

To whom it may concern,

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 21:57:03 -0500

Recently, a large amount of threats where issued towards a girl, who didn’t deserve it. The nature of these threats planted a seed in me that frequents my nightmares. So here is the other side of the story that no one asked about. I’m going to call her Z for the sake of keeping the story somewhat coherent.

Z was born under less then desirable circumstances. Tossed around between family members that would get tired of having her, never allowed to call a single place a home. Before I get too distracted, the main point of her anger and jealousy stems from her mother. Z didn’t see her mother often. She loved Z and the rest of her children very much, but her priorities weren’t in the best order.” When she was nine her mothers addictions caught up with her and she overdosed. No one told Z her mother died till weeks later. She wasn’t allowed to cry or mourn her death because her family wouldn’t allow it. So yes, Z was jealous. She was angry that she was being put down for not mourning someone she didn’t know. And, that a lot of these people that called Z insensitive or whatever, didn’t even know the deceased personally either.

I had to get this off my chest. I’m sorry Z. Its not my business. But, I love you, and as my sister, I feel your side needed to be out there. Maybe one person will read this, and actually think about what happened.

Abridged and Signed,

Dear Anusara,

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:00:20 -0500

I don’t know much about you or your teachings. I have attended a couple classes over the years, but that is the limit of my exposure. I have, however, read much about the whirlwind surrounding your community right now.

I thank you.

In some twisted, bizarre coincidence, the tumultuous happenings in the world of Anusara yoga seem to coincide with some of the same recent feelings of loss in my life. The writings of your various teachers and how they are dealing with the different issues has been extraordinarily therapeutic for me. It is interesting how Anusara has had this therapeutic effect on my life without my even attending a class or practicing the actual physical act of yoga.

Regardless, you have helped me tremendously in looking inward and reflecting.

With the Highest regard,
an indirect student

Dear T.

Thu, 16 Feb 2012 13:04:20 -0500

I know that I ruined everything. I know that my indecisiveness about loving you is what caused our relationship to ultimately fall apart. After two years of you always being there for me, after putting a ring on my finger, now it is gone. Now you are gone. At least, you say you are.
Yet you still let me bring you cakes, letters and things you like. Yet I am still here, trying every day as hard as I can to convince you to take me back. This has been going on for a few months now.
You told me that you don’t know if you love me anymore.
I figure if you didn’t love me anymore, you wouldn’t let me stay at your house, bawling at your kitchen table for hours.
I will never, ever stop trying. Unless, of course, you threaten to call the police.
I love you, more than anything in the world. That, I am sure of.
You know the saying, ‘You don’t really know what you’ve got until it’s gone’?
Well, now I know.
And all I want is another chance to make this right, because you were, and continue to be, the most important person in the world.
If you could give me that, I would very much appreciate it. Because this constant shallow breathing and breaking down at random times during the day is really not working for me anymore.
I have hope and I have faith. I wish that you did, too.

Love,
Danielle

Dear Sidewalk Walkers, Tourists, and Day Shoppers,

Wed, 15 Feb 2012 10:58:26 -0500

I wish there was a way to hold your head touching mine, so you could see who I really am, and how embarassing it feels to have this as my only choice.
Im not who you think I am.
I dont have a drug problem.
I dont have mental issues.
Im not here by choice, only people who’ve never lived like this would think somebody would be here by choice.
Life wasnt always this way. I lost everything, I lost things that you wouldnt even think could be lost.
The first night I walked downtown slowly. I was cold and I didnt know where to go.
I told myself to focus, not to panic, life happens in chapters and this one was just starting, but it would end too.
The youth shelters told me I was too old to come in. The women’s shelters were past capacity, they said.
So I come here to the same spot every afternoon. In the mornings i’m at the unemployment office looking for a needle in a haystack.
I try to make some money for food. It’s rare, but sometimes I make enough for a cheap hotel and I pretend to be somebody else for a night.
It’s a struggle that involves sacrifices, but all the same I try to keep my phone paid for, waiting for that interview that doesn’t seem to be coming.
Yesterday a lady bought me a winter coat and some fancy mittens and they were so warm, it was so kind, I started to cry so much I had to leave. I hope to run into her again so that I can say how well I slept that night.
Kindness is so rare. Mostly I feel invisible.
Sometimes I ask people what the time is and they shoo me away like a fly and answer “I dont have any change.” If I had a dollar for every time thats happend, I could buy a condo.
Im trying. Im trying so much.
When you walk by me, and you snear and say mean things and laugh with your friends,
I dont break. Theres nothing left to break. I was long past broken before I got here, but it makes me feel so lonely.
While I sit with a dirty cup in my hand, trying to dodge being hit with your shopping bags, I catch ends and middle bits of all your conversations.
I want to tell you all, “You have no idea.”
I want to ask you all why you dont see how lucky you are, how good your life really is, how easy you really have it.
I want to ask why you dont cherish your lives.
I want to tell you how quickly it can all dissapear.
I wish you could see what I see, even if only just for a moment.
Please be kind to your city’s homeless. Everybody has a story and you dont know theirs, but more than likely its one filled with horrors and bad luck and regretful mistakes that would tear you apart. We are still alive, and I feel that is an accomplishment in itself. We should be respected even if only for our perserverance. Spare what change you can, every little bit helps. Smile at us. Give us a compliment, offer us some courage and hope.
What if it were you? Someday it very well could be.

Sincerely,

The girl on the corner.

Dear Doesn't Understand,

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 22:36:11 -0500

Dear Doesn't Understand,:

All of these things mean you’re human.
They mean you’re not perfect, but neither am I. Neither is anyone else.
It means you’re listening to lies that say you’re not good enough.
Lies that say you’re not worth anything, that no one could ever like you, that you can’t do anything right.

I’ve heard all those lies before.
And they’re exactly that — LIES.

When you see someone you know, acknowledge them. Even if you’re afraid.
When you want to give someone a hug, hug them. Especially if you need a hug.
When you’re with a friend, tell them what’s on your mind. Chances are they want to know.
When you don’t trust yourself enough to love, take the chance. You might get hurt, but it’s almost always worth the risk. Because loving someone, even just platonically, will always make life a little brighter.
When you compare yourself to someone else, stop. And remember that you’re not them, so you don’t have to be anything like them. Being yourself is so much more freeing than trying to be someone else.
When you’re jealous of your best friend but you know you should be happy for them, focus on being happy for them. Remember that good things happen to everyone in their own time.
When you don’t want to go out, don’t worry about it! Invite a friend over and stay in, watch a movie, eat pizza, have fun.
When you think people won’t miss you, remember that we impact people far beyond what we realize and chances are someone, somewhere, does miss you.
When you think no one could possibly understand you, remember that your troubles aren’t unique. Someone does understand. Sometimes it’s just harder than you want it to be to find that person.
You’re you. Embrace that.
And enjoy life.

Love,
Someone who understands

Dear anyone who might understand,

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:57:30 -0500

What does it mean when you don’t acknowledge people you’ve met because you’re afraid they would be embarrassed for you to?
What does it mean when you can’t even initiate a hug because you’re afraid the person wouldn’t want you to?
What does it mean when even your best friends don’t know half of what goes through your mind because you’re too afraid to tell them?
What does it mean when you don’t trust yourself enough to love?
What does it mean when you think that everyone will eventually stop liking you?
What does it mean when you compare yourself to that one person you will never live up to be?
What does it mean when you can’t even be happy for your best friend because you’re jealous of what they have?
What does it mean when you don’t ever want to go out because you think that they’ll all be having fun and you’ll be that loser in the corner?
What does it mean when you would rather sit out and watch others have fun because you don’t think they’d miss having you there?
What does it mean when you think no one could ever understand you?
What does it mean when you’re me?

Please help me,
Someone who doesn’t.

Dear Rain,

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 15:58:28 -0500

You make me gloomy.

You make me sad..

But I wish for you sometimes,

to ease the pain in my heart.

Needing you,
Teardrop

Dear Tiredheart,

Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:38:31 -0500

I wish you didn’t hate yourself so much. You’re a really good person with a great personality and charm in spades. I know that if you just stopped and thought for one moment you would see the time you waste in going to war internally each and every day. It’s a terrible tragedy to beat yourself up and I know that if you called a ceasefire, the bruises would heal and maybe you’d be able to to see all of these things that make you the wonderful person you are a little clearer.

PS. One day you will really love yourself

Strongheart

Dear Girl

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 12:05:01 -0500

I wish that I could tell you that everything that I feel is not your fault. But to be honest, I’ve done that enough. It is your fault. You breeze into my life and disrupt everything that’s good about it and act like it’s my fault, and that I’m the one who should know better. I wish you could see that being overly dramatic about things is not always the solution to the problem and that maybe instead of dicking around with people’s emotions you should grow up a little and either shit or get off the pot. Being “strong” is an overrated concept, it’s been done. How about just letting yourself be weak for once in your goddamned self centered life and focus on what someone else feels.

Yours,

Pissed off

dear flower picture on my bathroom wall

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:45:58 -0500

You are both warming and bitter. I hung you in your particular home to give folks a beautiful image to ponder whilst “doing the doody”. Instead, you have begotten an entirely new persona in my mind.

Your amazing posture and beautiful bright petals contrast deeply with the sea of sand in which you have sprouted. You stand alone with great strength, yet with the delicacy of a tender bloom. On you face sits a yellow jacket….ready to plunge its stinger into anyone who intrudes.

The sum of these contradictory images: The beautiful blooms and stark landscape, the strength and delicacy of your stem, the ominous presence of the lurking bee…..
reflect to me the characteristics of the heart. So amazing a creation…so powerful, yet so weak. So full of vivacity, yet always on the verge of collapse. So warming…so welcoming…yet with such a potential for pain.

I love you picture. Thank you for your symbolism.

-me

Dear Apathy

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:57:38 -0500

Meh yourself

Love,

Dear Blue Eyes,

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:51:06 -0500

I hope you see me someday.

(I think I might like you. A lot.)

Yours,
Brown Eyes.

Canada,

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:48:15 -0500

I am tired of tip-toeing around the fact that you are the first though in my mind upon waking. Your face is the one I search for in a crowd. I can distinguish the whisper of your voice from a chorus of others. I told myself that I’d never give you a part of me, but your eyes make me willingly surrender the keys to my most secret places. And now that the electricity that fills the inches between our bodies has become palpable, now that the winds have changed and the clouds have broken… I want all of you. Don’t hide your fear from me, because if there is anything I could do for you, it is to make you brave.

The Pacific

dear authors of these letters,

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 13:02:05 -0500

your words are, at times, so touching and personal, they remind me that the world still lives..and that each single one of its occupants carries a soul so rich and vast, one can only graze its unprecedented depths.

thank you.

AM.

p.s.: keep writing.