It has long been known that extended walks can kick-start thinking and creativity; no secret there—increased blood flow stimulates it—simple as that. But, I’m amazed how many ponderous thoughts circle my brain on a simple jaunt to and from the mailbox, about a hundred yards from the house. Usually those thoughts deal with things I see—birds, trees, sun, clouds—those sorts of things. But, yesterday it was all about the mail in the box that sent thoughts reeling.
If you’re thinking that it must have been something wonderful at one extreme or awful at the other then you would be pretty far off base on both assumptions; the fact is I can’t remember what it was specifically; three separate pieces, I think. But, that’s exactly the reason thoughts were spawned. As I looked at the credit card offers, satellite tv promotional material, AARP insurance offer, or whatever the waste of paper and postage happened to be, I tried remembering the last time I’d received mail that wasn’t an attempt to make it through the eye of a needle into my bank account; which, I must say, is dusty, musty and covered in cobwebs. Fact is: I couldn’t remember the last time I had received welcomed mail of any kind.
As I sighed frustration at having wasted another trip to the box and began walking back to the house, I remembered that I’d heard, once upon a time, the Postal Service whined about unfair competition because email was not charged for and pressed for laws that it should be. I laughed aloud.
I kept right on chuckling when it occurred to me that the Postal Service’s mindset on how to become more competitive is to cut services and raise rates, not become creative and offer unique services and better ways of doing old things to attract business away from email, Federal Express, United Parcel Service and all the others. Why shouldn’t they think that way? That’s how the government taught them to think; competition is for everyone else, not us.
“We should not have to compete; we’re the freakin’ Post Service!” or so they would likely bellow and probably have.
If you think not, then just take a hard look at the current budget crisis in Congress. That’s exactly what our lawmakers are arguing about now. And, in the end, both parties will be responsible for cutting services and raising taxes—not one or the other. But, that’s a rant for a different time.
It’s amazing how the mind rabbit trails over not seeing interesting stuff in the box. By the way, yesterday’s mail was not opened or even made it inside the house. Instead, it was dropped into the trash can on the way. Still, I suppose it’s that tenuous lure of getting one piece of mail that will make all those worthless round trips worthwhile that keeps me going out there and checking. Besides, it’s an opportunity for synapse to fire a little faster and come up with stuff like I’ve written here.
I wonder if this thought is any more important than the mail I received yesterday; probably not.
Daniel (Danny) Lance Wright
Author of
"Paradise Flawed"/Dream Books LLC/2009
"Six Years' Worth"/Father's Press/2007
"The Last Radiant Heart"/Virtual Tales/August 2010
"Where Are You, Anne Bonny?"/Rogue Phoenix Press 2010/ ebook available
“Trouble”, short story/CrossTIME Science Fiction Anthology, Vol. IX
“Dancing Away”/short story/Untreed Reads
COMING IN 2012
“Defining Family”
“Annie’s World: Jake’s Legacy”
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