Hometown Heros in Alaska

Dear Hometown Heros!

I applaud you.

I used to believe that if you were a hero- you would be in the papers, on the news, talking to Oprah, or running a non-profit organization. It meant that I had one picture standing next to you, smiling, and then signing a release form to have it posted on social media. It meant that you had thousands of people who knew your name, wanted to have lunch with you, or talked about you over the dinner table.

Society has many of those types of heroes! And they are great! They are out in the world saving the monkeys, whales, bees, and tigers. They are saving lives one test tube at a time while working 15 hours a day in a sterile lab- curing once believed incurable diseases. They walk among the homeless, handing out lunches, listening to past stories, and working with the local government to get them into shelters and jobs. They work with troubled youth and give them guidance, mentorship, and direction.

This letter to a different type of Hero.

To the Postal Carrier- thank you for delivering my mail. I am not too keen on when you bring bills- but for years, you have been my link between my family and my loved ones who don't know how to turn on a computer. You have faithfully kept an avenue of open communication between us and the world. When mother nature kicked our asses with snow, ice, and rain- you still came every day and put a small present in my mailbox to remind me that the world is still moving forward. P.S.- you can keep all the 'self-motivating' workout magazines that I ordered at the beginning of COVID- I have just been using them as coasters.

To the Garbage Worker- thank you for picking up my trash. If it weren't for you, I would be swarming in empty Amazon and pizza boxes. I would still be looking at crumbled-up Christmas paper, broken plastic Easter eggs, or spent 4th of July sparklers. I would probably be questioning my addiction to Egg Nog and Rum if I had all the bottles still lying around from the holidays. Thank you for hiding my addiction to buying things online from my husband!

To the Department of Transportation- thank you for working nights, weekends, and during mighty storms to clear a pathway for me to get to Barnes and Nobles and the local coffee stand after a significant snowstorm. I wish you would slow down and take a little more time so I had a legit reason not to head into work. However, thanks to you, I can still get to the grocery store for the mythical milk that disappears overnight from my refrigerator.

To the City Workers- thank you for ensuring that there are always new light bulbs in the lampposts. Thank you for planting flowers and trees in the roundabouts and along the streets; they are lovely to look at in summer. Thank you for cleaning the trash left by careless people who think their car window is a moving trash can. Thank you to the people who work in the city headquarters that I called when the tax assessor raised my home taxes by 27.6 percent this year! You were terrific when I explained that my retirement would now be earmarked for my home taxes, and I am pulling my child out of college because I can't afford their room and board anymore. We had a fantastic conversation about realtors and new and exciting places to move to, like into my parent's basement.

To the Truck Drivers- I will not forget you! You are Superman, Batman, Spiderman, and Wonder Woman wrapped up into a single person. Thank you for taking on the Alaskan Highways (all 3) and delivering food to the weirdest name towns- like Fox, Chicken, and Deadhorse. Adults in my town now have you on the tracker, and when you show up, it is like we just saw Santa Clause. We have a dedicated Facebook page just for your arrival and the precious cargo you bring. I have never met you- but you will be getting a Christmas card this year! P.S. we are running low on fresh fruits, vegetables, paper towels, and fall candles...can you call someone and let them know?

You are my heroes! Thank you! Some might say that it's your 'job' and you get 'paid' for it...don't listen to those nay-sayers. You all do your jobs with enthusiasm, religiously, and pleasantly (most of the time). You have kept some semblance of normalcy in my life- and that has been a hard thing for the last two years. However, I keep hearing that things will be back to 'normal' soon- and when they do, I am buying you all a cup of coffee.

P.S. The coffee will have to be black, my home taxes went up 27.6%, and I am a little broke now.