Hey wait a minute Mr. Post man...Why I don't live at the P.O. A true Story

So. I get the addresses and prepare to send my little "thank you thoughts," along with "More than a mother's" BRIDA. And, thank you guys for entrusting me with your Realness - *smiling* ....anyway, I wanted to get everything in the mail soonest because I'm impatient like that, and because of snow and I may be housebound for a few days...or not...who knows.

I gather together some things, and some envelopes, and the addresses, throw them in my huge bag, and I head off the mountain into the valley to stop at Jelly Bellies (a cute little place to buy tourist stuff) and I pick up a few little tiny items, but they don't have all that I want-dang!...so, I leave with my few little purchases, and it's snowing. I sit in my car and start stuffing things in the envelopes fast as I can- oh geez! the envelopes are smaller than I thought (except for yours More than a mother!)....well, too late - I'm off the mountain, the envelopes are already addressed...

I go to the post office in the next town since my little town's PO closes from 1-2. While there, add extra tape to the bulging tiny envelopes with the stuff in them. I step to the counter and pile the envelopes there. The postman picks up the first one, More than a Mother's, and feels it. He looks at me. Then he puts the postage on it, going waaayyy off somewhere that's not the US. Then he picks up a little envelope, going waaay off somewhere that isn't the US, and then another going waayyy off outside the US, then he starts in on the US tiny envelopes. He feels each one and looks at me.

Finally, he said, "What is this bumpy thing?"

I answer, "A buckeye from my mountain."

"A buckeye? Are you from Ohio?"

"Huhn?"

"You know, Ohio Buckeyes...."

"Um, no...these are buckeyes from my buckeye tree on my mountain - my special buckeye tree! Here in WNC! "

Mr Postman says, "Wale, don't you'uns think these people (he holds up some envelopes) may have a buckeye tree around where they live and don't need your buckeyes from your mountain?"

I say, "Um, I don't know. Well, anyway I told people I was sending something from my mountain and...."

Feels feels. "Wait, what else is in here? This ain't just a buckeye in here!"

"Um, well, there's a rock in them, too...you know, from my creek or from a mountain walk...I think some people got a cherokee tear and then I ran out, dang, I need more cherokee tears - the others may have wanted a cherokee tear - shoot...Although this one and this one could prolly get their own...and..hmmmm..."

Tap Tap Tapping of tiny bulging envelope. "You'uns sending rocks, too?" Eagle-eying me.

Me, "Well...yes, and some of them might have something else, if I remembered to put things in the right places and all...and..well....some bookmarks of the mountains...."

"Don'choo think these persons who lives HERE and HERE may already know what a mountain looks like and don't need your bookmark with a mountain on it cause they know what a mountain looks like...? Especially THIS one..." (holds up an envelope).

"Um...well, yeah, but....see, these are ...the rocks and buckeyes are from MY cove...and the bookmarks were purchased from good ole Maggie Valley and I think it wasn't mountains, I think it was waterfalls or something..um ..you know? I mean...um..."

He pea-eyes me, says, "So, let me get this here straight - you are spending (this amount) to send buckeyes and rocks all over the world? huhn well...I'll be..."

"I think there may be a keychain or a magnet in a couple of them....um...if I remembered to put them in there..." Me fumbling in my gigantic Betty Boop purse to see if I lost any rocks, or buckeyes, or a keychain, or Cherokee tears that didn't make it into those tiny bulging envelopes....I fear someone may not get all I meant for them to get! oh! Oh! "Yeah, just little thoughts, you know?...um..."

"Uh huhn." he feels an envelope. "What's this? it feels flat and kinda soft."

"Um, it's a piece of bark."

"A piece of Bark....."

"Well, one of the people said they like nature and things from nature on the mountain, so I....put....a piece of....um....bark in there....with moss on it...."

"Wale, uh huh. I see..." (but his eyes says he doesn't see).

He busies himself putting them all in the bin to go out, feeling each one again before he throws them in the piles, takes my money, grins at me, and then says, "You have a good day now, Ma'am!"

I say, "You, too! See you later!"

I slide on out the door...not turning around to see if he's staring at me with that quirked up grin and twinkly eyes.

I walk out into a furious falling snow, get in my Subaru, and drive home with snow slamming my windshield - and I never felt happier. Pieces of my mountain going all over the world - even if they are tiny pieces, even if the person can get their own rocks or their own buckeyes, they don't have one from Killian Knob! Ha! And some of the buckeyes even have little indentions to rub your finger like a worry stone--that's what I do as I walk the mountain. And the rocks are ANCIENT rocks - yeah! from some of the oldest mountains in the world--The Smoky Mountains! ha! Yeah! I humm... la tee dah - I drive back to my little cove and go inside my warm little log house. All is well.

(google image of postman pat www.theplayshack.co.uk)