In praise of a good postman

Today’s post was inspired by a tweet last week from Helen Walmsley-Johnson, who writes The Invisible Woman column for The Guardian:

‘We’ve got a new postman… and he’s lovely! Thoughtful, polite and efficient. This is the best thing to happen for MONTHS.’

I couldn’t agree more. A good postman/lady is worth their weight in gold.

When you work from home, you appreciate every human encounter, no matter how brief. A quick conversation on the doorstep as letters or parcels are handed over can make a big difference to your day.

Our postlady is Jill, and she is invariably smiling and cheerful, no matter what she encounters on her rural route. Despite muddy lanes, floods, erratic drivers and a temperamental replacement van that makes her round take longer than it should, she always has time for a quick word.

She is a valuable, if transitory, member of our little community here at the mill. Even the fact that the post doesn’t arrive until 1 or 2 pm is made bearable when it’s delivered with such charm and good will.

And we’ve never had any post go missing since moving here. In other places we’ve lived the postmen seemed to be different nearly every day and it’s during those periods that post has not turned up.

Social media consultant Euan Semple recently tweeted that any encounter these days with banks and utility companies makes him think that civilisation is collapsing. As I deal with my elderly parents’ affairs as well as my own, I know all too well the sinking feeling that thorough training and employee dedication are things of the past.

A good postman restores my shaky faith in the world and makes me think that maybe everything isn’t going to pot after all. What difference does your postman make to your day?