I love the postal service. I find it amazing that I can walk a few blocks from my house and put a piece of paper in a blue box. Days later my sister in another state will receive that important paper from me—just as if I had walked to her house. Another time, I packed up some books and sent them to a friend in another country! Then, she emailed me (another modern wonder) to ask if I had sent them. I found out that they had been sent, and that they had been received in a post office in that other country. And that they had attempted delivery. So my friend went to her post office, and there safely on a shelf was the box of books. One line in the address was amiss, but they did not open the box to find the phone number I had enclosed.
Recently I received a letter from an old friend. This letter had traveled several states and went to people who knew of me, but not the current address. These people made guesses, and sent it on its way. Eventually, it came to me. So, even though there are occasional errors and difficulties, I find it amazing that the postal services exist around the world and that they are still efficient. There is also the service of “general delivery” which is a way to contact someone who is travelling for an extended time. Send a letter or package to your travelling friend to a city you know is on the itinerary, and sooner or later, that person will stop in that post office and receive the mail. Perhaps the post office is a leftover of another age. Young modern people use electronic devices for everything, including legal documents. But, in my world, not everyone has access to those devices. And you can’t send a hand crafted unique gift to someone through an electronic device. So, I still love the postal service.
