How to Write a Letter

The clipping is not from a neighborhood advertising flyer.  I found it this morning in what used to be a large daily newspaper-- well, it's still daily but these days it weighs about four ounces.  The article gives detailed instructions about how to have a quaint antique experience:
                                                        How to Write a Letter.
Start, it advises, by visiting a stationary store [are there still such things?].  “If you are putting forth the effort to create a beautiful, handwritten letter, you can add to the experience by selecting a fine paper on which to write.  There are many different types of paper…”
and if you’re lucky you may even find some with flower petals embedded.
Seven more steps are listed, including
*practice penmanship before sitting down to write your letter,
*jot down ideas on a piece of scrap paper,
*be sure to proofread it for misspellings and grammatical errors,
working up to
“Write your final copy of the letter on the good paper.  Make sure it is neat and legible.”
And finally
“…wait a day or two before sending the letter to be sure [it is] truly what you want to say.  If so, mail…”
All this,  I remind you, in a major daily newspaper. Someone was paid to write that.  It's even more disheartening to realize there are probably grown persons who will need that guidance – if they ever do sit down to write a letter.