I am proud to say that I am still married to my first wife?since June 8, 1967. I have had about 20 cars since then, but they lose my interest or something is wrong with them after a while, if you get my drift.
Nancy said the other day most people aren?t even as old as how long we have been married. That is true if a person is younger than 46.
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When we started using the U.S. Postal Service for Free Press delivery almost 15 years ago, I thought it would be for life, kind of like a marriage. How else could we deliver our product to the good folks living in roughly 1,000 square miles that surround us?
Our relationship with the post office through the years has been marriage-like in that there are rocky spots now and then, but you always think you can depend on them to be there for you.
That seems to have changed. Instead of it being easier to send our papers out, it has become increasingly more difficult. For the most part, it hasn?t been because of the local personnel, who have been helpful above the call of duty sometimes.
What has changed is that the windows of many rural post offices are closing during the times we used to arrive to drop off our mail bags. With hours that end before the afternoon begins, we physically cannot get to them in time.
Recently, I attended a conference where we had the opportunity to ask postal officials for advice about dealing with the new hours. One of them told me I should contact my local postmaster and have her make an appointment for delivery at the outlying post offices.
Common sense says the postmaster or PMR (postmaster relief), in most cases, is not going to drive back to the local post office from another town where he or she lives to accept our mail.
Luckily, we have many friends out there who are willing to help us meet our delivery requirements by letting us drop the bags at their place of business. They then take the bags to the post office when it opens in the morning. I could mention their names but I?m sure they?re not doing it for the publicity.
Without these friends, the mail would have to go to Wichita, or even Wichita to Kansas City, and back to Marion County before the process is complete. By postal regulations, delivery could take up to a week.
We want to thank our friends in Burdick, Lincolnville, Florence and Burns for being willing to help in this way.
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I took in the car show at Memorial Park on Saturday because deep down I wish I could own cars like those on display. And it was a good way to grab a quick lunch.
One of the hot rods was so low to the ground that I think it could clear a pancake and that would be about it. The only thing missing at a car show is the roar of the engines.
Most of us who had cars like those ?50s and ?60s Chevys would still own them today except we were even poorer back then and had to sell or trade them in to buy the next vehicle.
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We went out to dinner on our anniversary Saturday night. On the way home we saw the ends of two rainbows touching the ground side by side arching in opposite directions, but the other ends were not visible. I hadn?t ever seen that before.
If you wish to share your comments or ideas, my e-mail address is joel@hillsborofreepress.com.
