Gratitude 4: Thank Service Providers

The news, lately, has been grim. The COVID-19 death rate has not been controlled anywhere in the U.S. except in the northeastern states. Statistically speaking, it appears that the case for facial masks, social distancing and a disciplined plan for business openings has been proven. In the meantime, the people on the front line have been suffering from short-sighted city/county/state mandates; employer's poor planning or lack of safety measures; and stubborn, selfish consumers insist they're protecting their rights. All this is led by an inept, arrogant and narcissistic leader who cannot see past the upcoming elections.

Recently, under the Trump-appointed Postmaster General (who has no experience working at the Postal Service as had previous Postmaster Generals), the USPS has implemented cost-cutting measures including limiting overtime for postal carriers, cracking down on late trips to deliver mail, and freezing hiring. This has resulted in slowing mail delivery. You might notice that non-First Class packages are arriving later - even weeks later. Some states have warned that these cuts could prevent voters' mail-in ballots for the November election from being delivered on time. Just yesterday, Trump admitted that he would block additional funding and election assistance for the USPS to sabotage mail-in voting. In the last month, he has been aggressively spreading false and exaggerated claims that voting by mail is inherently fraudulent. (In reality, rates of fraud are extremely low, and there's no evidence that expanding voting by mail hurts or benefits either political party.)

I am focusing on the mail carriers and other postal workers because we really do take this service for granted. The USPS has consistently delivered our pension or Social Security checks (if we're not getting them deposited automatically), our monthly prescriptions (particularly to Vets), our birthday and Christmas cards and the packages that every large carrier (such as FedEx and UPS) have forwarded to them to finish delivering. If you're living in a rural area, the Post Office is the single source of delivery.

Envision your mail carrier. We see ours every day and wave when we pass his truck, walking our dogs. He has ALWAYS been friendly -- even during the busiest times of the year when he's out so late! He works hard, toiling in hot and cold weather. He RUNS to the door to deliver our packages (and, unfortunately, is greeted by snarling, barking dogs at the window).

Did you know that mail carriers are not allowed to accept any gifts over $20 in value? So how do we thank them? To me, it's easy to give a Thank You card and gift card every holiday but we need to include cookies, bottled water or other treats throughout the year. Always, though, it must include a Thank You. It's the very least we can do.

The focus, this month, is to thank our service providers. There are many - the grocery store clerks, butcher, and stocker who keep us supplied of our daily needs; the doctors, nurses, firefighters on the front line making every attempt to keep us alive; the truck drivers who drive long routes to furnish every distribution node; the plumbers, electricians and other service technicians who keep our homes going; the teachers who are trying to teach the students they're assigned under tenuous conditions; the crop pickers and food packers who provide the food to be delivered; the factory worker who construct and pack essential supplies like toilet paper and diapers...the list can go on and I'm certain I have neglected to mention several really good examples. I thank them all for perservering under potentially dangerous conditions so I can stay safe in my bubble. Throwing on my face mask when I leave the house is nothing compared to what they've contributed.