Learning About your Community Through the Eyes of a Postwoman

I had taken up walking this spring and continued into and through the summer. I was trying to revitalize my aging body as I was feeling my years. It also gave me a break and a burst of energy when I went out each morning after working at my desk for a few hours. On my walks I started to notice that we had a new postwoman. I later learned that she was filling in for our postman who was off ill.

At first I just did the male nod which men do when greeting either a female or especially another male whom they don't know. Over the first month or so we kept crossing paths and we progressed to "hellos", then "whew, it's too hot out here" to "how is your day going so far?".

Over the next several months these contacts became brief conversations of 10 to 30 seconds in length and we got to know each other better.  She knew who I was as you would expect any postperson would, she learned about my family and what I do for work. I learned that she had a family and that they loved the outdoors, camping, hiking and biking.

Last Friday, she let me know that our regular postman was better and would be returning on Monday. She commented on what a great community I live in. She said, "I know there's no sidewalks, the bus service is spotty here but everybody talks to everybody else...people even offer to help each other, even if they don't know each other well. I am always welcomed as I come up a person's driveway or they come out to say good morning when I drop their mail through the slot."

She went on to say that she was almost in tears today as everybody had told her they would miss her smiling face and cheerful disposition. She said that she would give anything to live in my community.

All of this made me realize that perhaps I sometimes took for granted what a great community I live in.

What do you think your postperson would say if you asked them what your community is like?