Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds
Inscribed on the wall of New York City’s General Post Office Building, 1914
Dear America,
I was preparing some post today, some of which is destined for your distant shores (I am in Australia!), and for the first time in my life I wondered if it would arrive safely, if at all.
There are things I still send by post. Personal letters and cards, physical items, gifts. I have never given it much thought, this wonder by which I place a stamp upon a package, put it in a Post Box at the end of my street, after which, almost by magic, it finds its way to another part of my country, or another part of the world.
Some of my most treasured possessions have reached me by post. The postal service has allowed me to vote when I have not been able to attend in person, it has kept me informed and connected, it has enabled friends and family to reach me, it supports my purchase of products, and the sale of my own.
I have always taken it for granted. I had assumed it was an essential service. I was not surprised to learn that its agency within the United States of America is explicitly upheld by your Constitution. Why? A reliable postal service is essential for the very fabric of our societies.
There have been times when I have shaken my head in the past few years about what has been happening in your great country, but never did I imagine that the simple act of being able to send a letter or a parcel to someone in America could be under threat.
Your postal service links you to the rest of the world, and to each other. It’s democracy in action. It’s worth fighting for. I hope you do.
Love, optimism and prayers, Nicole x
I fear an Amazon takeover of the postal service, based on a dream I had a year ago about Disney and Amazon going to war against Google. Things are scarily falling into place to fulfill this unrealistic dream. I am scared that the real enemies are unacknowledged.
He is a cornered animal and will do anything to delay or win the election. I fear it will get more nasty as November approaches as his followers are armed and will not hesitate to use it for whatever reason they see fit.
I am still a US citizen although I have lived in Costa Rica for 21 years. Because of the COVID, mail is not coming in from the US nor going out to US. My voting ballot will come in via email but it has to be mailed in. The US Embassy has a diplomatic pouch in which I can send the ballot to the US but I fear it will get lost or delayed in the US after that.
I have never felt so anxious about an election in my whole 67 years….and worse, if he wins again.
Jan-you are lucky to not be in the US right now! Not only is the government horrifying but watching untold numbers of people (from all walks of life and both political parties) behaving as though there isn’t a virus just incomprehensible. Hope your ballot makes it here and is counted. I think mail-in voting begins September 22nd or so and they are telling people to get their ballots mailed as early as possible. (You should be able to track your ballot, by the way).
I send and recieve many letters each week all round Aus and over seas, packages not so much
Oh trust me, we are fighting. We have GOT to get rid of the ridiculous person occupying the White House. Things are absolutely out of control over here. He’s dangerous, a true menace to society. I pray Joe Biden is elected in November but I worry trump will find a way to cheat…
I’m worried for the first time ever that we could have a violent election. I NEVER would have imagined saying that. It feels like a nightmare living in the US right now, especially for those of us who are sensitives/empaths. Not an easy time.
Believe me, Nicole, we are fighting to keep our postal service intact. It is criminal what our current “president” (and I did not capitalize the first letter, because he is not fit for the office) has tried to destroy about our great country. We are encouraging every American citizen to vote him out of office. Our country, and our lives, depend on it!