a little slice of nostalgia

I've never sent a telegraph, I never realy needed to. For that matter, I never really wanted to send one. Chances are, you're the same way. Now none of us can, at least not with Western Union. Western Union stopped the service on January 27. The technology that was cutting edge for fifty years and about the only economically viable way of communicating over long distances for much, much longer, went out not without a bang and fanfare -- as perhaps it deserved -- but with the tiniest of whimpers, the following message on the Western Union website if you clicked interest for sending a telegram:

Effective January 27, 2006, Western Union will discontinue all Telegram and Commercial Messaging services. We regret any inconvenience this may cause you, and we thank you for your loyal patronage.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact a customer service representative.

If I would have known that they wouldn't be around any more, I would've sent one. I don't know to who or much else, but the fact that I never will be able to again makes me wish I would've known before right now.