Dear Stranger... Where Have You Been?

2020 seemed like the year where many people lost contact with the outside world. While we live in the 21st century with amazing smartphones and things like Zoom, I get the feeling that many of us are getting sick of everything. Because of these incredible inventions, we can still stay in contact with people while we may be in quarantine. With 2021 however, people are starting to get back into the old school ways of staying connected. 

Humanities Nebraska has adopted a program from Oregon called “Dear Stranger.” This program was created with the goal to bring many people together while a great disconnect was going on. It is a letter exchange program where local Nebraskans will send a letter to someone they do not know. Their specific theme for this round is remembering places before quarantine. The idea is about as simple as it gets. You write a letter, you receive a letter. Hopefully, you will make a good connection along the way. Everyone is able to write about the places they visited before we all were trapped inside. Get creative with it. 

In Oregon it was a great success. So much so that when Nebraska adopted it, they hoped for many more participants than Oregon. The deadline for submitting a letter is Feb. 28. This gives plenty of time for many people to still get involved. 

If you want to get involved, you can go to Humanities Nebraska’s website and find the page for Dear Stranger fairly easily. I encourage everyone to do it since Lincoln is so cold and COVID-19 is still around. Many people need to feel a connection right now and this might be the way for you to connect with someone who needs it.

The beauty behind this program is how simple it is. The ability to send a letter to someone you do not know as an encouragement is something that I think we should all do. It could be the old soul in me, but I love sending letters to people. I really enjoy finding ways to encourage someone else. There are many people out there who are struggling with the feeling of loneliness and we can encourage them. We can make someone’s day better and we don’t even need to know them.

TJ Pittinger is a junior

theology major from

Gilson, Ill.