“The Weight”

Photo by Barb Edler, March 8, 2024

Lately it seems like things have been more difficult than they should be. For the last two days, I’ve been working on stuffing envelopes, stamping envelopes, buying envelopes, buying labels for envelopes, and affixing labels to envelopes. Followed by three trips to the school to collect the printed flyer because you are really clueless about the more than 700 pieces of mail you are about to deliver to the world beyond. Followed up by counting envelopes and arranging envelopes into Tray A and Tray B. Yes, there are different trays for bulk mailings. Now, in fact, you have to create your own account to have these lovely missives be delivered.

Unfortunately, when you go to the P.O. the first time, you end up arriving at a busy time. You politely let all other customers go ahead of you because you know you are going to need the clerk’s individual attention and you have a form you have no idea how to complete. It’s like when I worked at a Greek restaurant as an early teen. The menu was “Greek to Me” and I didn’t last more than three days.

Anyhoo, you discover once you have the clerk’s attention that the whole thing somehow has to be done online. You must return home, but this time at least you have three trays rather than boxes to put the envelopes in. You have been kindly given a number to call to assist you in creating an account for your nonprofit organization that will allow you to access a form and have it printed so you can return to the P.O. to have the POS sent off.

While online, the person on the phone is delightfully helpful. You are almost completed with the online task of enrollment when you realize that you do not have some envelopes in the correct tray. Back to the counting and arranging which takes way too much time. After another thirty minutes, you return to the computer, and are able to complete the form. Happily, you print it and have your husband help you fill up the front seat of the car with the envelope trays to return to the P.O. and to hand over the form. But no, you are turned away. It is after 3 p.m. In fact, you cannot deliver these wonderful letters until Monday. Yes, Monday. After working for more than sixteen hours during the past two days with others helping along the way, you are sadly rejected.

You remember you are supposed to be working a part-time job. Hmmmmmm…….well, that kind of sucks!

P.S. Go, Hawks!