Thursday, December 17, 2015

Rural Free Delivery


The mailman stays busy this time of year, jumping out of his vehicle at almost every stop to fill the mailboxes with packages. (At our stop he stows over-sized packages in the no longer used pig pen at  the left in the picture above.) 


I think of long years ago -- when the mailman rode a horse or drove a wagon. And when, at this time of year, he might be delivering Christmas gifts from the Sears Roebuck Catalogue -- the 'wishbook.' His coming was eagerly anticipated, I'm sure.



When I was very young, I went through a stage of sending off for any free or very cheap offer, just for the pleasure of getting mail I still remember sending off a dime, taped to the order blank and receiving, weeks later, a slender little brown plastic-handled knife with a forked end for spearing pickles out of a jar. I was amazingly proud of that little prize -- which broke, I seem to recall, the first time it had to wrestle with an ornery gherkin.

I no longer order stuff just for the fun of getting mail But it's still a cheery sight to see the mailman or the full mailbox-- there's always that somewhat irrational hope that today's mail will bring something wonderful -- a card from a old friend, an un-looked for check, a mysterious letter saying that one is the recipient of a legacy from a long lost uncle...

Or not. But I still haven't outgrown that tingle of anticipation.


6 comments:

Ms. A said...

Sure would be nice if the mailman didn't bring bills!

Barbara Rogers said...

As I moved around in my adult life, the mail was my connection to "home" before we had this whiz-bang electronic stuff. A long distance call meant troubles, or firming up plans to visit, so the mail was our conversations between my mother and myself for over 30 years.

katy gilmore said...

Love this post Vicki - and I never get over that hope as I approach the mailbox. And I will say that several times you have made that hope pay off for me! xox

Jime said...

Yeah, I ordered a secret department ring you could wear. Boy, I liked it a lot. My favorite thing was Cracker Jacks toys. We use to get our mail at the post office. It was always fun to go and use a key to get the mail box open.

Frances said...

Vicki, I loved this tribute to rural free delivery, then and now. I have a childhood memory of mail being delivered twice a day during December, so that all those cards and packages might reach their destinations. Way, way before Fed Ex or UPS times. xo

Anvilcloud said...

Good memories for you. I imagine that it meant a lot to rural folk.