Postal Love

I am up before the sun, dressed in shorts and a t-shirt. I'm groggy; wipe the sleep from my eyes. Tennis shoes on, and I'm out the door. The summer heat greats me like an old friend, and I smile as the first rays of light begin to grace the sky. It is beautiful, the reds and oranges giving me peace as I make the half-hour commute to my office. I'm a rural postal carrier.

The drive is uneventful, NPR droning on in the background. I breathe, relax, wonder what today will bring. It is one of the reasons I love my job. Each day is the same, but different. Will I get to see my favorite customers? Will today be filled with bringing someone a card from their loved one or meds to the veteran on the corner? It is tiring, and I am tired, but there is a sense of joy in the work. I help people in a small, often unappreciated way. That is enough for me.

I stop for gas and a coffee, my morning ritual. I pull into my assigned parking spot and eat the protein bar I've brought for breakfast. I have another one stashed away for my lunch, to be eaten on the route. The drive is the same, a minimum of three hours, though I've been out up to six. Every day is different, though the same. I watch as the truck bringing the mail from the plant pull into the dock, unloads the equipment for our office to sort, and then drives away. It's an average amount, meaning a shorter day. Christmas is hard, but the rest of the year makes up for the month of extreme pressure and chaos.

At seven-thirty, the other carriers arrive, and we enter the building to start our workday officially. We move to our respective cases and begin to sort the newspapers into route order. Each mailbox has a slot on the case, a place in order. Next, I'll sort the magazines where they go and then on to the letter mail. My office differs from some as we still sort the mail, even though it is sorted in route order. We have the time to do it, and it makes the day flow better on the street. Everything we do is about order and flow on the road. This process takes anywhere from an hour to two hours. The last thing I sort is the packages, separating those that fit in a mailbox from those that won't. Using placards, they get marked differently, different sizes and colors for large and small. Those that fit in the mailbox get put in route order in a long tray. Those that won't get put in the cart to be loaded into my vehicle in route order.

When all of that is done, it is time to pull the mail from the case and bundle it. I use straps to keep it all together, rubber banding large sections then lining them up to be strapped. When everything is pulled from the case and loaded into the cart, I push the cart to my car. As a rural carrier, I am in my own vehicle, a Honda CRV. Loading it takes anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes. Three straps of mail go into the front passenger seat footwell. Usually, that is all I have, but they sit in the back seat if there is more. A tub is set next to them to collect the outgoing mail and my empty straps. Beside that are the long trays of small packages, easily accessible with a reach of the hand. The large packages go in the trunk, ready to be grabbed when needed. Again, it is all about efficiency.

I push the now empty cart back inside, use the restroom, and then fill out my timesheet with my arrival time and the time I depart for the route. There are two empty slots left that will be filled in when I get back.: my arrival time back at the office and then my final time leaving the office for the day. Rural carriers run an evaluated time, so I still get paid for the entire route if I come in under that. If I take longer, I'm only played the evaluation. I'm under most of the time, making up for the few days of the year when I am required to work longer hours. Today I will be under. The last thing I do is grab my scanner, set it up, and scan any packages held at the office at the customer's request.

I leave the building and get into my car, adjust the mirrors to where I need them, and then I'm off. I've got signs on my vehicle and a strobe light on top. I sit on a pillow in the middle of the car, steer with my left hand and work the pedals with my left foot. It sounds complicated, but most of the carriers in my office do it this way. Once you get the hang of it, it's pretty easy. The route begins, and I shove mailbox after mailbox. If I have a package, I scan it. Dismounts slow us down, but they are also some of the most important things customers want. I've delivered groceries, gifts of all kinds, etc. With it being the first of the month, today is mostly medicine.

My phone is plugged into the stereo, allowing me to listen to an audiobook. It is what I do most days. Occasionally, I get bored of stories and put music on. I pay for Spotify premium, so I don't have to listen to commercials. Every carrier has their own thing to make their day go faster. I dismount for the cluster boxes at the apartment building on my route, stuff the mail into their small locked boxes, and then I'm back on my way. Part of my route is in the village, and the other is in the country. I love it. It gives me a variety of views.

Out of town, I am slowed down by wildlife, a herd of deer on one road, and a flock of turkeys on the next. It's pretty typical, though; in a few weeks, I doubt I'll see any deer. The start of hunting season usually drives them into hiding. I can't help but smile. When I hit the hour left point, I give a silent cheer. It's been a quiet day, but that's not a bad thing. A few customers stop to chat with me while I deliver their packages. I'm not from the area initially, but I feel like I know these people. I see who is beginning to look at colleges or just graduated. I know those who have just suffered a loss or have a birthday by the cards I put into their mailboxes. As an introvert, it is a connection to people without really having to carry on a conversation, and it suits me.

At the end of the day, my car is empty, save for the trays and tub. I grab both items and reenter the post office, quietly walk to my case. If the clerks aren't busy, they come over to talk, chat about problems on the route, or if a customer has picked up their mail after vacation, we are to resume regular delivery. I sort the outgoing mail from my straps and rubber bands and put the belts and rubber bands away. I turn in my scanner and then dump the outgoing mail into the tub to be sent on the evening truck. I use the restroom and then add my final two times to the sheet. My day is done at once in the afternoon. I walk out the door, reenter the Honda, and think to myself, 'I love my job.'