Remember when that phrase was code for going on a killing spree? It had to do with actual killing sprees, where disgruntled worked of the post office had gone in and targeted their bosses, their co-workers. That’s some serious shit.

Now there is a wikipedia page, and an urban dictionary entry, all of it referencing outbursts of violence in the workplace. It is quite disturbing that it has become part of the lexicon, part of the culture. When I started this blog post, I thought I was going to find evidence of how the USPS changed their image, rebranded, fought the stigma; perhaps they went on a recruiting spree, rebuilt. I haven’t been able to find that.

And yet, in these high-traffic end of the year delivery seasons, our mail carriers seem to rise above the day-to-day turmoil. The strife and struggle to get ahead? I don’t see it on the faces of my mail carriers. Somehow, they seem to keep their personal lives in tact, probably don’t even identify on the weekends as a mail carrier, you know, when they’re off duty. Of course, this is just in my estimation. You never know when someone is about to “lose it” so to speak, which is part of what makes it so scary.

So I guess my point is this: if you’re carrying the mail lightly, thank you. If you’re delivering my junk mail, my retirement account trading statements, my credit card privacy policy changes, my Venus catalogs and my Company Store mailings, thank you. I hope you find enjoyment in bringing me the holiday greetings I’ve come to expect. You’re like Santa’s little silent thankless elves, IMHO, so let me just say thanks.