Oh Where Is My Mailbox?

It's the normal things, the everyday things that when they suddenly aren't there, strike at the heart of our equilibrium. Such was the case for me last Monday, when I walked out of our apartment and across the parking lot to mail a bill. Our apartment complex has a collection box right next to our mailroom, very convenient for the 400+ residents of our complex, since the post office doesn't pick up mail from our boxes.

After turning in circles several times, searching for my familiar blue friend, I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. The Leasing Agents in the office didn't have any idea, though they shared my concern. Reluctantly, I handed over my electric bill to the office staff to put in their outgoing mail and walked back to my apartment.

The Postal Service has struck again. Of the 900 or so mailboxes in the Louisville area, 300 were collected this last week in a cost cutting measure designed to inconvenience thousands. Along with the rising price of stamps, I can only imagine that the complete demise of the blue mail box is on the horizon. Sure, the advent of email has made the sending of letters much more rare, but the mail is an important mode for transmitting information and conducting business.

I suppose from now on I will have to drive to a mailbox or place my outgoing mail in the hands of our Leasing Office. It's bad enought that they refuse to pick up mail from our P.O. Box style mailroom, but now I can't mail a letter from home short of asking someone else to mail it for me, something I'm not very comfortable with. It's too bad UPS or FedEx doesn't collect mail. Dear Postal Service: you have failed us once again.