There’s this general belief the postal service here and in the US is going the way of the buggy whip and the gasoline powered engine.
The postal service in Canada has long been the subject of a government policy of slow strangulation. It’s almost an art form, kinda like bureaucratic bonsai. The roots are getting trimmed and branches tied back and twisted in a way that looks almost natural. But way, way smaller.
The current US administration would quite happily hand it all over to private interests.
Which will immediately cut out all that old fashioned door to door delivery thing. You know, the ‘service’ part of postal service. It isn’t a good business model, you see, way too much overhead in wages to ensure a healthy dividend to their shareholders even after raising the price of sending a letter to $15.00.
I would love to have a private chat with the heartless skunk who started the whole Government should be run like a business rumour. Government is here to provide service. That’s what we pay taxes for: services that take care of us. You know, pave the roads, make sure our water is drinkable and pay teachers to babysit our kids. I mean, teach them about science and stuff like that.
Anyway, here’s my challenge to all youse out there. It’s not a big ask and it’s not a huge time or money commitment: send a card or letter to a friend in the US. Or Canada or wherever you know someone who can read and has an address. Even across town.
It doesn’t matter where.
It’s pretty easy, just pick up a card or some writing paper or even tear a few pages out of an old school scribbler. Now sit down and write. Start with hi or hello or hey there. Crazy weather we’re having, eh?
Stuck on what else to say after hello? Move from the weather to what the cat coughed up on the carpet this morning. It doesn’t matter, just share something from what’s happening in your life today and then ask about what’s going on in theirs. Like you’d ask if you were talking to them face to face – or text to text.
Whatever you do, leave politics out of it. You are not trying to convert your Tucker fan cousin or Fox loving Granny to the dark side. This is not the time to mention they are the dupes of a media plot or in the thrall of an orange puppet controlled by a soulless oligarchy bent on destroying the world.
No. That is not the way to reach across the fence and put out fires. You are trying to A) restore the gentle art of conversation and B) generate business for the postal service.
To your friend/cousin/Great Aunt Piewackett it will be a treat. Seriously. There is nothing like getting a card or letter in the actual and for real mail. Maybe this will even revive the long dead art of correspondence.
Yeah, okay, that’s asking a lot but, seriously, give it a try.
Maybe Granny has a brownie recipe you’d love to get? It doesn’t matter. Just send her a postcard showing off some local beauty spot. Or the brand new sewage treatment facility. Whatever might be of the greater interest.
If you’re still not sure, message me and I’ll help. Hell, I’m sure I’ve got a few extra cards around here *pause for the love of my life and our children to stop rolling their eyes*. For the price of the postage, I’m pretty sure we can work something out….
Support your local postal workers.
