Saturday Afternoon at the Post Office

SATURDAY AFTERNOON AT THE  POST OFFICE

Half an hour before closing on Saturday is not the best time to go to the post office. But, I had a few birthday things I wanted to get in the mail before next week. So I went, hoping I’d luck out with the line. I didn’t. I was about #9 in line. Two clerks were working. One clerk was tied up with a woman who was trying to mail a package somewhere and the clerk kept telling her the address was incomplete. 

5 minutes, 10 minutes – the discussion continues. The other clerk works quickly and keeps the line moving. Meanwhile the line reaches the door.

15 minutes, 20 minutes - the conversation continues as the woman backs away from the clerk to try to get good reception on her cell phone so she can show the clerk the address she’s “always” used. We all wait, and wait, and wait. Meanwhile the woman’s little boy in the stroller decides he’s had enough. He’s been hitting himself with a yellow plastic digging tool. He quietly hurls it across the post office. The mother retrieves it and gives it back to him. 

A little girl dressed all in pink, including pink fairy wings, rides her scooter around counter and the very long line of waiting customers. She’s quiet and careful. She belongs to the incomplete address woman. 

The clerk and the woman continue their conversation. I don’t think English is the first language for either of them. The clerk tries to explain why the address won’t work. Pink wings scoot by us. The stroller boy gets more restless. The clerk sends the woman away to look up the address again and takes one customer. Whew! Maybe the line will move a bit faster now. The incomplete address woman comes back to the clerk. Oh no, the progress stops. 

The scooter fairy weaves in and out of the crowd - wordlessly, slowly, and gently.

I talk with the people around me. We decide we might as well chuckle about the situation. No one seems upset with the clerk and incomplete address woman - we’ve all been there – the person holding up the line, trying to understand a post office employee whose explanation is beyond our comprehension - not sure what to do next. But most of us give up, leave, and regroup. This woman was NOT going to give up. She probably didn’t want to revisit the post office with her garden tool wielding toddler and scooter riding fairy. I can understand that. “I’m here. I AM going to get this done!”

It was finally my turn. It was almost closing time when I left. The incomplete address woman had backed away from her clerk. She looked like she was deciding if she was going to try one more time before the doors were locked for the day. 

The pink fairy continued scootering around the post office.

Image openclipart.org