Happy worker

Seven hours it took me to do the post round today. And part of it in the pouring rain.

The number of mail I have to deliver varies...there are 'good' days, with relatively few mail and which means I can be done within a four hours or so...and then there are 'bad' days, like today, which could total up to over a thousand pieces of mail, and take as long as it did today.

Suddenly this week there was tonnes of post, and most annoying of all were these tiny little booklets of advertisement (from a famous department store) wrapped in a plastic packaging which kept on slipping out of my hand and messing up the order I sorted the postage.

Usually I go in at ten on Saturdays, and arrange the my mail chronologically in even and uneven numbers and by the street. I'm responsible for a very long street, and three smaller streets as well as a number of houses around a square. Since there's only so much I can carry with my bike each time, so I usually let the courier deliver my post to a retirement home on my post round and pick up the rest from there.

I'm so glad that I'm finished for this week. Really, being a postman is hard work, and doing it myself I realise how much people who deliver our mail have to endure to ensure that each mail gets into the right postbox. They have to put up with the weather, paper cuts, bear heavy loads, run the risk of having your finger snapped by the mailbox, grumpy dogs that won't stop barking, and whatever things that might be in the way in people's gardens. They, and other manual labourers out there, should all be recognised for their hardships and be treated with respect and smiles.

Which brings me to something I just can't understand . Why do people get angry because the mail is late? One lady today sarcastically asked whether I came on the night train, and slammed the door on me. A couple of others just stared at me and demanded to know why it was so late. All I could do is apologise, and try to explain that we were overworked today. Be nice, smile, and realise the customer is always right...that's what I was told to do as a 'representative' of the mail service. Frankly, I don't understand why people need to have their mail at a certain hour, especially when it's Saturday. Getting upset because the mail is late is just a bit too much.

But then again there are small rewarding things that comes with the work. Often people are extremely friendly and so grateful to me for delivering their mail. Some even chat with me and say Just seeing a smile on their faces makes it all worth it. There was this one lady today who helped me steady my bike when it tipped over at a crossroad. Before she walked on she told me to take good care and be careful. How heart-warming when your hands and back are aching from hours of running up and down stairs...

Well, I guess at least the pay is not too bad. And today when I got home I found a pleasant surprise from my employer. I received a gift package, with some sweets and a discount voucher to a number of great places for a day out. Maybe it's not much, but it's nice to get home after a hard day of work and receive some appreciation.