Breaking Up With the Post Office

I have had a lifelong love of the Post Office. I remember some of the first letters I received as a very young child - one was from a cartoon character named Jot, and of course, the letters from Santa. The Post Office offered proof to me that Santa existed. My favorite scene in the movie "Miracle on 34th Street" has always been when the mail carriers march into the courtroom and pile Santa's letters on the judge's desk.
 
As I grew older I wrote letters to my friends who had moved away - and they wrote back to me. I only recently was able to discard these long-cherished treasures. In high school I would often walk to the post office in the morning before school (snow or rain) to see if my boyfriend had written me a letter. The post office, and mail, in general, inspired me.  
I remember the man who was postmaster in our Wilbur post office for most of my life - we simply called him Buck. I adored him. I would buy stamps from Buck and later became a novice stamp collector. I trusted and respected Buck; mail to me, was magical.
As an adult, my love of the Post Office continued, when, as a young wife and mother I wrote letters to my mom and many friends. Back then I couldn't afford a lot of long distance calls and we didn't have email. The mail I got was what kept me from being lonely.
Even later as "snail mail" was rejected by many people, I still sent Christmas cards through the USPS, as well as sympathy cards, thank you cards and  basic correspondence. When my son was in Iraq, I sent him packages, which magically always got to him. I was thankful for the Post Office and have always believed that 

"Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds".   

I have thought of the Post Office as a long-respected necessary institution. Earlier this year I wrote many letters demanding that we save the Post Office from ruin. I trusted the Post Office with my very important ballot. 
But now, as i sit here writing this, I feel betrayed. As always, I trusted the Post Office to deliver Christmas to my kids. I spent months shopping, preparing and then wrapped and packaged my gifts to mail out. I wasn't terribly worried when one of the packages arrived and not the other. But two days later I checked the tracking to get back the message - 'ALERT - The package could not be delivered or returned to sender and is being forwarded to the Recovery Center for processing'. The main number for the Post Office popped up, so I called. There is nothing in the menu about this recovery center and could not get an actual person to speak to me. I emailed and got this response: 

Postal Customer, 

I looked into the tracking information, and the mail piece was scanned as "dead mail / sent to Recovery Center". This occurs if the mail piece was damaged in automation to the point of being unable to safely deliver the mail piece, or if the mail piece had prohibited items in the box. I do apologize for the inconvenience, but given that the mail processing facility dispatches out to the Mail Recovery Center daily, I cannot recover the parcel. You would have to conduct a Mail Recovery Center search ...

By this time, I had already filed a mail recovery search claim - to which the response  I received said the package was sent to this Dead Mail Recovery Center. If you Google this place you will find that if they can't match packages to their people, they end up being auctioned off. I don't understand why they can scan the tracking number and tell me the package is gone to dead mail, but they can't use this same technology to send it to my son. AND, if it is safe enough to send to the Recovery Center, it should be safe enough to return to sender or deliver to addressee!
To be fair, the West Richland Post Office was very kind and sympathetic, but now they have not returned my calls in 2 days. I feel the same way I felt when my purse was stolen, or my car got smashed. I feel violated and so disappointed.  The day after this came to light I had another package to send out. I had Darrell take it to UPS and it got there the next day - not even 24 hours later!  
 
 So, my long affair with the Post Office is over. It took nearly 60 years for them to really let me down. It isn't the "lost or damaged" part of it that I am bothered by, it is the process and lack of help or communication that comes with the package being sent to the Mail Recovery Center. I spent yesterday's lunch break re-ordering the $300 worth of gifts and am having them shipped directly to my family members. (Fed-Ex for the sewing machine for my 8-year old granddaughter) I have no faith that I will ever get an answer as to what happened to my package to make it undeliverable. I do know the Post Office is overwhelmed - but so are the rest of us. We don't get to take things that belong to other people and just keep them or make money off of them. I actually donated money to support the Post Office this past fall and now they are making money off the gifts that my hard-earned dollars paid for. I don't feel that the process for the "dead mail" is fair to consumers. I don't think it is in keeping with the long respected reputation of the United States Post Office. It needs to change.

 

E-Day

In less than a week we will have election results.

It's terrifying. There are so many thoughts running through my head all the time now. My internal voice is screaming to get out. I find that I can't verbalize my feelings, or my truth. There is fear of being ridiculed and also the fear of being wrong.

I know I don't have all the answers, but I do have so many questions. Here are a few:

If you are voting for Trump, do you still have an elderly parent living on social security?

If you are voting for Trump, do you value your elderly parent's life less than your own?

If you are voting for Trump, do you discount black lives because you know of some village of blue Smurfs somewhere? Because there are no blue lives.

Can you separate your respect for law enforcement from the need to have race equality in our country? Why can't we have both?

How can we be living in the same world but have a completely different reality?

When I post a video or a story that resonates with me, I have Facebook "friends" who take exception and start posting 'stuff'. I say stuff, because it isn't even opposing viewpoints to my post, but just old rhetoric that they cling to. One  friend even stated "I didn't watch the video" but this and but that. How can you oppose my post if you don't watch or read what I posted?

If you are on my list of Facebook friends, I'd like to think it is because you actually are my friend. But the reality is, many of us have droves of Facebook friends who we don't really know. Maybe we knew them a ton of years ago, we worked with them at a former job, or they are friends of friends who ended up on our friends list, or they just believe in networking. How did we become Facebook friends? And, is it time to reexamine those things? I'm going to ask you now, that if you only comment on my posts when you want to disagree with me, please unfriend me. If you don't really like me or respect and value my opinions and my right to express them - please unfriend me. I will not be upset - I am mature enough to understand that sometimes life changes us and what we once had in common may be completely gone. I have no ill will towards any of my friends, and I am guessing there are things about you that I like, or you wouldn't have access to my life, as such. But if you never engage with me or like my photos or personal posts, just stop being my Facebook friend. 

At this stage of the game, most of us have already voted, So, my opinions aren't going to make a difference to anyone. But, they matter to me. Yesterday I thanked my neighbors for the political signs in their yard - because I have no signs. I'm always afraid.  I actually started this blog post a few days ago and I have published a couple of times - then reverted to draft. I need to stop being afraid to say what I think. And, although I will put this on my Facebook page, at the same time, I do not like what Facebook has done to our country and to our friendships. So, not only will I reflect on what constitutes a true friendship, but the answer might be to delete my Facebook account all together. Again, my mind is circling this idea - because I also think if everyone who feels the way I do leaves Facebook, we will not have the opportunity to have a voice in what has become a bleak and hateful platform. I welcome responses when they are respectful and true, and, relevant to what is on the page.

I post things I believe to  be true. If you disagree, please resist the temptation to react with that laughing face emoji. I don't appreciate people who are supposed to be my friends trying to make me feel stupid.

I believe the Republican Homeland Security woman who is voting for Biden this time. Why? Because she has the first-hand experience and knowledge to know what she's talking about. I believe the scientists and doctors who truly care about human lives and our planet. I value lives over money.

I believe that the harm that will come to our country, and our world, if Trump gets another 4 years far outweighs any tax hit that might affect me personally. I believe we will see more division and more unemployment while the richest continue to get richer. I believe too many more people will die.

So, come Wednesday, whether your side has won or lost, please try to remember why we are friends, or ask yourself IF we are friends. I will be doing the same. 

I will continue to post the things I believe, and out of respect - I will continue to scroll past the things that I don't believe.

Please give me the same courtesy.

And now, just for fun, I will end with this work in progress. Thanks Dr. Seuss for the inspiration, always.

I AM mad. I AM mad. Mad I AM.

 

THAT mad-I-AM! THAT mad-I-AM! I DO NOT LIKE THAT mad-I-AM!

 

How could YOU LIKE Trump and Pence?

To me it really makes no sense.

 

For I do not like Trump and Pence

Won’t vote for them, not on the fence

 

I WOULD NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.

I WOULD NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE.

I do not like the lies they tell

I believe they make life hell

 

Don’t like them in the big white house

Can’t tolerate what they espouse

 

I DO NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.

I DO NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE.

 

I do not like the MAGA hat

I’d never wear a thing like that

 

I don't think Trump's sly like a fox, 

I’d like to put him IN A BOX-

And on that box put many locks

 

I do not like the orange face

I do not like his racist case

 

He said he’d make America great

Instead, he only spreads more hate.

 

On this I’m right, you know I am;

Trump is a man without a plan

 

He’ll take away the ACA

He doesn’t care - so come what may?

 

The scientists, they all agree

His words are not beyond age three

 

Climate, covid, and news, he claims,

Are nothing more than fake refrains

 

I wish that all could see the light

On all these things that give me fright.

I DO NOT LIKE THEM HERE OR THERE.

I DO NOT LIKE THEM ANYWHERE.

Facebook , friends, family - the 3 Fs

I've been thinking a lot about the effect of political memes on Facebook. I rarely post them - in fact - almost never. I did share one the other day, but the contents of the meme aren't what is bugging me. It is the reaction to it that I can't stop analyzing.
I've been reflecting on it all morning. I realize that I am not an expert on politics, or how our government works. I am just a normal, hard working woman with limited education. While thinking about this, I remember that most people are like me, just living their lives and forming their opinions based on their life experiences, their morals and their educations.
I don't debate with people - why? Well, because it isn't worth it to me. If someone engages me in an attempt to draw me into an argument, or just to try and make me feel stupid, it's not going to be rewarding for either of us to continue. I respectfully agree to disagree. Additionally, I would probably lose, because I am not willing to go as far as some, I'm not willing to say mean, hateful or insulting things to people I consider friends, or to my relatives.
I've stuck to my goal of never commenting on posts that I disagree with that are made by people I love. Those people, however, never miss a chance to jump on me when I post something that is in keeping with my own opinions.
I'm left feeling like I did something wrong.
I know I'm not the only person who has experienced this. I know there are families and friends who have parted ways in the past 12 years, due to their political differences. It is heartbreaking. The entire climate in our country is heartbreaking. What will it be like for my grandchildren, I wonder?
So, here's the thing. I have my feelings and my opinions that have formed throughout my entire lifetime - some are innate biases that I myself fight against. But I'm aware of my own shortcomings. Still, my beliefs are mine, mine alone. They are not wrong just because they aren't the same as yours. I was raised by two amazing, intelligent parents. I have thoughtful and loving siblings, I have the best, kindest and smartest children I could ever ask for. I'm thankful we all share the same basic morals, and political opinions. That is convenient, as we don't have to worry about the worst kind of divide happening to us. We also show respect to people who don't share our opinions. I frankly don't get the same consideration coming back, but that's okay.
I will stay true to me, to my values and to my heart. I follow my gut - and I've been criticized for that. People want to say that following your gut, or your heart is naive. I am not a politician, and I will never have time to research everything I see or hear. I have to rely on what my own upbringing and morals dictate to me. Sometimes that means I take the word of a loved and respected friend who has done the research and has the experience.
My way of coping and forming opinions is not wrong. I probably spend more time making sure I don't offend someone than the more educated people who don't take time to question their own actions.
I do have to say though, arguing with me over Trump's statements regarding the Coronavirus, immediately bringing up Obama - what is that all about? I don't understand the hatred of Obama. I know it is fueling a lot of the current situation. Trump is where he is because of it.  AND, I'm sorry, but I believe it is rooted in racism. I doubt that we will ever have another President who exemplifies the same morals and character that Obama does - because evil will not let it happen again.
Why have I been hesitant to put my own thoughts out there? I'm afraid. Afraid the co-worker who liked me yesterday will think differently of me by knowing I don't like Trump. Afraid a family member will unfriend me, afraid I will hurt someone. While I'm not willing to go as far as others when it comes to debating - I admire their bravery and their willingness to risk the good opinion of others. At the end of the day, I'm the same person you knew in school, the same person who sat next to you in church, the same person who helped you with a project at work.

This is turning into a ramble and probably only makes perfect sense to me, an over-thinking introvert.

I can't even find the words.