This morning, I had two birthday cards to mail out to my granddaughters. The envelopes cautioned that they might require extra postage, so I decided to take them to the little post office. The area is so sparsely populated that the post mistress is only there from 8 - 12. The locking post boxes are on the front porch.
So I scooted over with my cards. We put up our mail box at the end of the driveway, and wanted to find out how we went about setting up delivery. I also needed a book of stamps.
She greeted me cheerfully, and calculated the extra postage required as we talked about setting up mail delivery. I finished up with '...and can I get a book of stamps while I'm at it,' as I pulled out my debit card.
She cheerfully said, 'I can't take a card. No internet. I am supposed to be getting a new modem tomorrow.'
I was mortified, because I didn't even have 59 cents on me for the extra postage she had already affixed to the two cards that she'd tossed with the outgoing mail. 'Gees,' I said, looking at the clock. 'Let me run home...' I still had ten minutes before she closed up shop.
She waved her hand as she reached in her pocket. 'Don't worry about. Drop it off the next time you are passing by.'
It is different here.
In small places they know where to find you! I don't live in that kind of area but people are sometimes generous and help out with money shortages anyway.
ReplyDeleteI suppose that is right. Especially when the first question you almost always hear is 'where did you move in?' And you always respond with the old Mary and Leonard ------ property, right across the road from the cemetery. Narrows it down a bit, doesn't it?
DeleteI grew up in a small town like that, every one knew each other and stopped to say hello. My school had all 12 grades in one two story brick building. The school had maybe 250 students all together. A lot of them were farm kids like me that were bussed in. There were farm trucks in the parking lot and very few cars. I loved the lifestyle. Most high school boys smelled like hay or cows and some girls. I love the country life. I went to dinner last night with my family, my son in law is sixth generation farmer in our town here in Florida. I grew up in Ohio and ended up down here.
ReplyDeleteIt feels awfully nice to be back to it!
DeleteWhat a sweet small-town moment! It’s rare these days to find that kind of trust and kindness. Helping someone in needs is a amazing and adventure
ReplyDeleteIt is, isn't it? I went back today and gave her a dollar. When she went to get change, I said 'hang on to it for the next person who is a few pennies shy. She is new to this post office, but she liked that idea.
DeleteHow nice that trust and kindness are still the norm in some parts of the country. Linda in Kansas
ReplyDeleteIt is something to remember in these days.
DeleteWell, she DOES know where you live!
ReplyDeleteCeci
This is very true!
DeleteFor the sake of losing 59 cents from her pocket, which I'm sure she won't, she created a decent amount of happiness and goodwill. How nice it would be if the whole world worked like that.
ReplyDeleteShe absolutely did not lose it. First thing I did this morning! Trust is a two way street.
DeleteThat is the village attitude not the town jobsworth
ReplyDeleteYou know, I have heard the term 'jobsworth' before. Today I looked it up. Exactly right.
DeleteEnjoy your new way of life and hang on to the old one a bit, when you have to carry cash around as well as a piece of plastic.
ReplyDeleteNormally it would have been the case. I was driving a different car.
DeleteThat sounds like my kind of place you have there - no mistrust, no drama, just common sense.
ReplyDeleteOh there is drama...let us not forget the fellow being chased down the road last week!
DeleteThere is still trust in some places in the world. All is not yet lost.
ReplyDeleteAnd that is hopeful, isn't it?
DeleteI can but won’t (because I am sure that I blogged about it then but can’t find it now) relate a somewhat similar incident shortly after we moved to this town.
ReplyDeleteOh, AC do not disillusion me. I thought all Canadians were polite and nice and loyal and true....and that things like this happen in all your towns
DeleteI echo what GZ said.
ReplyDeleteNow that I know what a jobsworth IS, I agree too!
DeleteSounds like John's village! I am glad to know this still exists in the USA
ReplyDeleteI think it probably is like that in more places than we realize...it is just that it happens most often in little towns we never heard of.
DeleteThat sounds like my little town. Trust boxes at the farm stand, people saying pay me next time you're here, mailman bringing packages to hand deliver, making sure I get my meds. It's nice. I didn't realize you'd moved far, thought it was just across town.
ReplyDeleteThe new house is 1/2 hour from the old house. very rural. We can see one neighbor's house from our own. Unless you are counting the 100 or so neighbors directly across from us. The cemetery is pretty quiet though.
ReplyDeleteNow you know to carry a little cash in case the internet is down. Nice customer service!
ReplyDeleteYeah...normally I have my little stash of car change. Didn't even have that because I was driving the other car!!
DeleteI have had the exact same experience at the post office here. It is tiny and service is very personal.
ReplyDeleteIt is a change, that is for sure.
DeleteDefinitely not something that happens very often. How wonderful! :)
ReplyDeleteIt sure is.
DeleteOh, that was nice. Maybe the USPS needs to think about phasing out modems and putting in some WiFi. :)
ReplyDeleteI am actually using the wrong word. It is a router she was waiting for.😃
ReplyDeleteSounds like here! Don't you love it?
ReplyDeleteAlso, send me your address and I will send you a roll of stamps. Did you know you can get 1000 stamps for about $50 on ebay? So I now have a lifetime supply!
A lot of those deals involve counterfeit stamps coming from China. I couldn't do that. Our postal service is in danger of being privatized because the genius doesn't understand that some things are not meant to be money makers...they are taxpayer funded services. I am not saying yours are counterfeit. Just saying I am too suspicious, maybe.
DeleteI have been buying stamps from ebay for years. They are past years' designs. Ebay verifies the legitimacy of the stamps sold there. So I feel as good about buying my cheap stamps as you did about your cheap plants 😊
DeleteThis is how it is in smalltown Saskatchewan too. I've been at the store and messed up with money somehow, don't remember now, and someone else in the lineup paid the bill for me. Our postmistress would've done the same thing yours did.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice to know that there are nice people all over.
DeleteSounds like you have landed in a perfect place! I actually go to the post office in a neighboring village instead of the one in my town. Just because of how nice they are. They are closed from 12:30-1:30 for lunch which I just can't get through my head, lol.
ReplyDeleteIt is nice rediscovering quiet.
ReplyDeleteChirpy chirpy cheep cheap Debby.
ReplyDelete