The Isolation Journals - Day 36

Today's topic was inspired by an 11-year-old in South Dakota who is singlehandedly keeping the USPS financially sound with her prolific letter writing.  Things escalated when Emerson got meta and wrote a letter to her letter carrier.

And here we are with our writing prompt for the day, provided by Emerson's father, Hugh.

Prompt:  Write a letter of thanks to your postal worker. Put some of yourself in the letter. Make it personal. Show them you care by asking a question or two about them. It really makes a difference when they know you spent time, so think about decorating the envelopes before you put them in your mailbox for them to pick up and enjoy!

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Do I need to use a stamp?  It seems superfluous to use one, but also rude not to?

Dear Postal Worker,

Or do you prefer Letter Carrier, or Mail Person?  I feel bad that I don't know your real name, even though you do something very important for me every day!  I want to thank you for what you do for the community, especially in this strange and uncertain time we're all living in.  

Maybe you've heard about an 11-year-old in South Dakota who wrote a now-viral (as in famous, not infected) letter of thanks to her mail person?  It seemed like the kind of trend worth jumping on, and maybe you could use a 'thank you' from a weird lady with too much time on her hands to brighten your day.  

Your job isn't easy, though at times I see mail carriers strolling down the street on a sunny day and think it looks like the best job ever.  Do you get frustrated with all the weird stereotypes people have about your job?  Like, I'm sure you're not always on the verge of 'going postal,' nor do you get chased by as many dogs as common lore would lead us to believe.  Or do you?  Are you so tired of people asking that question?  I get it.  I'm a librarian, so there are a lot of inaccurate assumptions floating around about us, too.  No, we don't read all day at work, always wear a bun, or own 37 cats.  I read in my free time, have only 1 cat, and a bun is just...easy, you know?

I think your job must be fascinating.  I honestly don't expect a response to these questions - I know you're busy, now more so than ever.  But I've always wondered...How many miles do you walk in a day?  What's the best season to be a letter carrier, in your opinion (based on workload, weather, etc.)?  Do you listen to music while you work?  If so, what's your favorite pump up jam?  What's one thing you want people to know about your job that you think most people don't understand or appreciate?  Do you make up stories about the people on your route based on the mail they receive?  I bet you see some real weird 'ish out there. 

Thank you again and stay safe out in those streets.

Your grateful postal customer,

Katie