Postal Offices during this time of the year are tantamount to anxiously volunteering to take a stroll in a stamp-filled Purgatory. Time drags on as the person in front of you shuffles a couple inches further every few minutes. Sporadic interruptions from people reaching for specific forms located on the other side serve as the only distraction from the monotonous process. Progress may even come to a complete standstill as various customers not wanting to get in line distract the lonely postal employee working from being as efficient as possible. Ridiculous.
I walked in on Saturday morning and, had it not been for my delay in carrying out the “Man Plan”, I would’ve walked right back out. The line looked more like a train of human cabooses snaking out of the main service area pressing up against the farthest wall of post office boxes. One could see without walking in how obviously busy it was from the fact that each parking spot was taken up; the lot was overflowing with cars. I stealthily zoomed in as a car backed out. Across the lot a man and two children were parking at the same time. Waiting has never really been my thing, especially with line-cutters, people trying to take any shortcut possible to avoid waiting, and the overall lack of observing proper line decorum. An inherent need to get Em’s package in the mail (along with the desire to get rid of Christmas clutter) allowed me to momentarily overlook the number of people already there long enough to get in line myself.
I hurried into the building to get in front of the man who arrived at the same time I did. He trailed a few seconds behind with his two young boys in tow. There was no counter outside of the main office area, so I opted to save my arms by laying the two packages I had with me on the floor. About a minute later I heard a small voice coming from behind me. “Umm, Miss?”
I turned around and noticed the older little boy, maybe five at the most, staring up at me. “Yes?” I asked, pausing for his response.
“If you need help with those, I can carry one for you.” I was taken aback for a second. His offer is probably one of the cutest things a child has ever said to me, especially since the packages he was so eagerly willing to carry were almost his size.
I smiled the biggest awwOhmygodyouaresocute-smile my face could possibly handle. “Oh, well thank you. That’s very sweet, but I think they’ll be okay on the floor.”
“Okay, Miss.” He smiled up at me before returning to play with his little brother. Nice kid.
