Postmasta

I would like everyone to just take a minute and think about their mailman.

What did you think? Probably that you don't know much, or have never thought about your mailman (or woman) before. Maybe you pondered that postpeople don't get much glory these days, with the advent of the internet. They are usually bringing bills or junk mail, neither of which people generally look forward to. Postpeople used to have the glory of bringing magazines, but those too are quickly getting snatched from their fingertips. These days, the most a postperson has to look forward to is bringing the occasional J. Crew or L.L. Bean catalog to someone's doorstep. Maybe a Better Homes and Gardens, if they're lucky.

Also - how do Postpeople express themselves? Imagine now how bored you feel putting on the same dockers every day and the same cardigan/earring combo every other week. Bored and boring. They wear the same gear, day in and day out. I saw a mailwoman today with diamond stars in her ears, and I thought, "You glow girl. Express yo'self."

Sunny, our dog, has our mailmen trained pretty well, if she does say so herself. We're very fortunate to usually have someone at home spending time with her whenever the mailperson comes for the day. Sunny's first mailman gave her treats every day, so as you can imagine, when the white truck with the blue eagle on it pulls up, Sunny can barely contain her excitement. Our current mailman calls her by name, and is usually pretty excited to see her - an affection that's always returned on Sunny's end.

He even knows me by name, and I was definitely feeling bad about not remembering his. Until Justin reminded me that he has a home field advantage in that he delivers letters addressed to me, with my name on them, on the daily. WHATever.

About two weeks ago, we found out said mailman fainted from a heat stroke. The following week, our fill-in mailman informed us that our regular mailman likes to sip from the hip in the evenings, and doesn't hydrate in the mornings. (Or wear a hat to cover his bald head, for that matter. Mm hmm.) [Mailmen looove to share.] With temperatures in the holy-hell range lately, it was no wonder he couldn't make it through his route. We missed him, as did Sunny, and I'm happy to report he was back on the track today - 5 frozen water bottles in tow, and a wide-brimmed hat on his head.

So remember, when your 25-minute commute or the sweat on your upper lip gets you down - there's a mailperson out there with a smile on their face, a dog biscuit in their pocket, and a Money Mailer in their sweaty little palm... just cruising through the neighborhood, making people smile.