Marie Edwards - the mail gets delivered with a smile even in the cold and snow.

The Good: People and Tradition at Their Best

Clinton, KY. December 18, 2012
USPS Zip Code 42031

It was one of those mornings that everything worked. The sunlight came in on cue, hitting the right spot for the Siamese cat to roll over in. The coffee was especially appreciated as I watched the world flow by in front of the old two story house on Jefferson Street.

And then there was Marie. I saw her, a lone figure in uniform, walking up and down the street.

She is our mail lady. Each day somewhere between 9:30 am and 10:15 am, she makes the rounds of our part of the universe. With blue USPS cap on to shade her from the day; she packs from 20 to 30 pounds of mail. Wal Mart flyers, utility bills, newspapers, bank statements, and letters are all a part of what she puts into our individual mail boxes.

No matter the weather, rain, snow, and extreme heat or like today, perfect 50 degrees with bright sunshine, she always has a kind word for you and a warm felt smile. In our minds she, and her other workers are the poster spirits of what the USPS should be all the time. She makes us feel that she genuinely cares about us and our mail.

Today, she brings a letter from Humana Insurance about my new medical coverage with them. There is also a Wall Street newspaper and one letter. The letter is from my high school friend of 1960 time. His name is John T. Delaney and he now lives in California. With his Christmas card and note, we still maintain a 52 year relationship.

As I finish my coffee, I watch Marie work her way down the street, delivering to every home new treasures of love, concerns and communications from the outside world. I thought what a country. Here, on a daily basis, is how millions of us reach out to touch someone we care about.

Digital web sites and e mail are all the rage, however, for many of us, there is something quiet special about the ability to touch pen to paper and have someone hold this same emotional expression in their hands.

It still is an important event when you get a letter, addressed to only you from someone who you care about. The physical letter is a statement of physical reality whereas the email is nothing but electrons scattered deep inside the computer data banks.

Marie represents the best of people and tradition.

At her level, the postal system works!