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Original poster

My husband received something very strange in the post ...

999 replies

OnSilverStars · 12/01/2021 11:05

In the post today, my husband received a letter. It was hand written with his name and address on the outside. No return info. The writing in the envelope is definitely a woman's

Inside is a copy of an "essay" I googled it and it's by Robert Louise Stevenson. It called "on Marriage"

The gist of it is that marriage has lots of ups and downs and requires communication

There is nothing else. No name, just a folded print out of this essay.

Any explanation, other than my fear? I have no reason other than this to suspect anything.

YABU - don't jump to conclusions

YANBU - he's cheated.

I'm shaking. This feels so surreal. I hope I'm overreacting. He's currently at work.

Ps. We open each other's post. We think nothing of it - usually. It's always junk or bills

OP posts:
Thread gallery
12
Bluesheep8 · 12/01/2021 12:27

Please show us the last time someone was prosecuted for opening post that came to their house, addressed to a member of their family?

Not sure anyone's been prosecuted,but this thread's an example of the trouble it can cause.

AnotherDelphinium · 12/01/2021 12:27

Oh yes, on seeing all the pp about Jehovah Witness letters I had a handwritten posted (via Royal Mail) on my most recent fortnightly mail delivery Angry It was addressed on the outside with no name, just an address and inside said “dear neighbour”. It did clearly have a JW return address on though.

HoppingPavlova · 12/01/2021 12:28

Yes, I am torn between admiration and bafflement for JW’s. I got a handwritten letter - but was addressed to ‘the household - our address’ rather than me personally. Went for 2 full pages complete with name of sender, return address welcoming contact. Apparently they feel it’s more necessary now than ever to do this during these times. I just can’t imagine having the time to do this. Mine wouldn’t be the only letter. Where do they get the time for this. Does God somehow literally give them more hours in the day than the rest of us? If I was them I would do one, then photocopy it a hundred times and make life easier for myself but they seem to hand write each oneShock.

mumwon · 12/01/2021 12:28

(I open letters usually because I am family pa/secretary/accountant if I found a letter like that I would think it was from a weirdo!)

MessAllOver · 12/01/2021 12:28

Sorry if this has already been said, but could it be a neighbour?

Have you been having lots of loud arguments lately and they're hinting for you to tone it down?

RandomLondoner · 12/01/2021 12:28

There is no such thing as men's/women's handwriting at all.

I just googled this, and apparently in a test it was found that the majority of people can tell gender from hand-writing.

ajandjjmum · 12/01/2021 12:29

Just to say OP, DH and I think nothing of opening each other's post. Always have. The only thing that annoys me is that he tends not to bother, and dumps it all on my pile! Grin

Hope it turns out to be insignificant.

bobbojobbo · 12/01/2021 12:29

Not sure anyone's been prosecuted,but this thread's an example of the trouble it can cause

Only if you want it to.

If I opened the same thing addressed to my DH, it wouldn't occur to me to think it indicated he had cheated. OP thinks that....so she has a reason that has nothing to do with this letter.

Gwenhwyfar · 12/01/2021 12:29

@thosetalesofunexpected

Hi Op You can tell by studying someone's handwriting not only someone's gender, but also give away clues about someone personality traits at that time,stage of their life.

I have a booklet about this kind of thing
I have forgetton the name of what the study of handwriting styles called I think it might be called Graphology,? Is that right? i am not sure through
quite interesting subject

I didn't know you can pick up someone ethniticity just looking at type of handwriting unless its blantly obvious..

Graphology is not scientifically accepted though. Unfortunately, some employers in some countries used to use it to vet applicants! Not really fair! Nationality/native language you can tell to some extent as the link provided by the other poster showed. Simple things like the 7 usually being crossed in many European countries. And as I mentioned, we can tell someone's generation quite often. If the person is elderly we can also sometimes see that from the stability of the writing. When I see old women's writings, I'm reminded of my grandmother's.
GeordieGreigsButtButtZoom · 12/01/2021 12:30

Why on earth would an OW send this to her affair partner with no other message at all?

I'm not saying it's the case here, but I have known a couple of women who had affairs with married men and when they ended for whatever reason, became rather lyrical about the sanctity of marriage and the importance of him returning to where he truly belongs, like a slightly fucked up version of the "your girl is lovely" bit in The Way We Were. I agree it doesn't make a lot of sense, and again I'm not saying it's what's happening here, but it does appear to be a thing.

wildraisins · 12/01/2021 12:30

Oh, sorry OP the above was based on it all being handwritten but now you've said it's a photocopy I'm less sure.

It could still be an affair for sure. But could he have some interest in that piece of writing or could it just be a random/ religious thing like someone suggested?

I dunno but again I'd definitely ask him about it.

mam0918 · 12/01/2021 12:30

@Needahug72

Could be a letter from Jehovah Witnesses we got one last week about the meek possessing the earth.

They seem to be sending letters to random addresses as my mum received one a couple of months ago addressed to her my dad (dad had died a month earlier)

I get one from scientologists sea devision... have the whole time I lived here, there not our name so I think a previous owner must have been a member.

many of the letters have hand written addresses and proper stamps like they have been personally mailed, and keep sending us tickets to board and join them its creepy but I dont really know how to make it stop.

WiseOwlRelaxing · 12/01/2021 12:30

@jamesfailedmarshmallows

According to Criminal Minds, hand writing is gendered. Just saying.
Yeh, some posters just seem to RACE to make an op feel caught out.
Moonmelodies · 12/01/2021 12:30

Perhaps the man who sent it got a woman to write the envelope for him.

Joeblack066 · 12/01/2021 12:31

JWs have to evangelise- it’s part of their belief. When they go door to door, they don’t always talk about their Church or beliefs to start with. They start off talking about something else.
This is a lazy JW trying to be clever and engaging with non JWs. Google it- they’re doing it all over the world.
I think it’s appalling, and would def be complaining to them.

WingingItSince1973 · 12/01/2021 12:31

Jehovahs Witness here! Whatever you think of us we are writing letters just to encourage people nothing sinister. I very much doubt the letter is from a JW as it would have been written by someone in the local congregation. Plus we wouldn't write something so random and so anonymous. Hope you get to the bottom of it xx

BuntysTwinkle · 12/01/2021 12:31

JW stuff usually has some kind of identification or at the least is religious text, probably not that.

PamsterWheel · 12/01/2021 12:31

Probably part of some weird covid art project where random people are sent photocopies of 'poignant' text. Or it's just a random weirdo doing it for the thrill of knowing that it will freak people out.

Ch3rish · 12/01/2021 12:32

@Bluesheep8

Ps. We open each other's post. We think nothing of it - usually. It's always junk or bills

I'd be furious if DP opened my post as a matter of course. As would he if I opened his. Why are you opening each others post in the first place? Isn't it illegal to open someone else's post?

Newsflash, just in

Not everyone is the same shocker Shock

What a ridiculous post, can you seriously not conceive that in some relationships the partners might be quite happy to open each other's letters?

wildraisins · 12/01/2021 12:32

@GeordieGreigsButtButtZoom

Why on earth would an OW send this to her affair partner with no other message at all?

I'm not saying it's the case here, but I have known a couple of women who had affairs with married men and when they ended for whatever reason, became rather lyrical about the sanctity of marriage and the importance of him returning to where he truly belongs, like a slightly fucked up version of the "your girl is lovely" bit in The Way We Were. I agree it doesn't make a lot of sense, and again I'm not saying it's what's happening here, but it does appear to be a thing.

Yes exactly.

Or sometimes women who take on the role of "the other woman" are just not quite balanced mentally, tbh.

It could be her way of getting back at him if they've broke up and that she is trying to make his wife suspicious without revealing her own identity.

diamondsr4u · 12/01/2021 12:33

I would put the paper back in its envelope, seal it as though I never opened it. Wait for him to open it in your presence and wait to see if he mentions the letter to you, or quietly disposes of it claiming it's junk. If it's nothing, he would tell you and be confused as to what this is address to him

Kettlingur · 12/01/2021 12:33

Can the people banging on about gendered handwriting and the postal act start their own thread? So we can concentrate on the mystery.

The page is from a Robert Louis Stevenson essay is it not? Very strange.

WingingItSince1973 · 12/01/2021 12:33

@mam0918 we wouldn't be sending tickets to anyone unless you mean leaflets? It's just sharing positivity. Alot of people appreciate it and alot don't. Nothing sinister and nothing to 'join' xx

formerbabe · 12/01/2021 12:33

Was he married previously?

Could it be an ex wife who believes he didn't give their marriage enough of a chance?

wildraisins · 12/01/2021 12:33

If it was JW's it would also include a pamphlet or something. They wouldn't just anonymously send a photocopy of a page of a book like this.