On June 28, postal service John Schaefer stuffed his ultimate mailbox, capping almost 4 many years with the US Postal Service.
For these near Schaefer, the response was common: “Wow. He truly did it.” Flirting with retirement for years, the relentless mailman at all times appeared to return again for “another yr” as he stored his route alongside Sombrero Seaside Street.
Schaefer’s 38-year postal profession started in 1987 in Lake Value, Florida after his service within the U.S. Navy. He transferred “again dwelling” to Ohio earlier than finally escaping to paradise within the Florida Keys, the place he’s maintained one of the crucial seen routes on the town whereas performing in nearly each position conceivable on the group theater.
He’s recognized for taking particular care of his clients, and taking over further routes when others are in want – incessantly conserving him on the highway till 8 or 9 p.m. in the course of the busy vacation months. Now one month faraway from having – nicely, a LOT – extra free time, we sat down with Schaefer to replicate, in his personal phrases, on a well-served profession.
I appreciated the concept of the postal service as a result of I’m a individuals individual. On a strolling route, you’re going to individuals’s precise doorways day-after-day. It’s enjoyable, attending to see all of the individuals.
I got here to the Keys after I was working a desk job with the postal service in Ohio. I used to be getting type of sick of it, my boss was about to retire, I didn’t wish to work for anybody else, and one in every of my jobs was to get all of the faxes. Certainly one of them stated “work in paradise,” and I checked out it and stated, what’s this all about? I made a decision to return down and test it out, made it to Founders Park, seemed out from the seaside they’ve there, and stated “Yeah, I can do that.”
My worst days on the job have been up in Ohio when it was 35, 36 levels and raining. There was nothing you possibly can do – you’re simply caught till the top of the day. You get dwelling, pour a scorching bathtub and attempt to heat your core up.
One winter (in Ohio), we determined to put on shorts the entire time. Me and one other man, Tim Bowman, at all times had this competitors to see who might be the final individual to placed on pants because it received colder. Yearly, the postmaster would are available in in the future and say “Tomorrow, each of you, in pants.” I noticed a information story the place two postal carriers up in New York have been sporting shorts all winter to lift cash for a charity. I believed, “If they’ll do it, we are able to do it.” On the similar time, I knew a college for youths with disabilities was placing in a brand new playground. That stuff is dear. So we known as it “Freezin’ for a Purpose,” and we raised $4,000. I discovered that so long as I hold my core fairly heat, I’m tremendous in shorts right down to zero levels.
However we had a number of days the place the wind chill was simply ridiculous. Sooner or later it was 35 under, and I had this a part of my route the place I walked up this large hill and again right down to the truck. I bear in mind getting in between two homes the place I used to be out of the wind and within the solar, simply going “Oh my God,” making an attempt to heat up.
Via rain, snow, sleet and hail, you simply know that no matter it’s, it’s a must to get by means of it. After I had a strolling route, I had a satchel, and I hated that when you set a variety of mail in there, the flap wouldn’t cowl it when it’s raining. My mother truly sewed a Velcro strip on my bag so I might hold the individuals’s mail dry.
I by no means actually thought of it so much, however that angle of conserving going, it’s the identical factor within the theater. Irrespective of how issues are going, it’s a must to step on that stage. You do the whole lot you may to organize, however finally it’s go time.
My finest day on the job was serving to somebody on Sombrero Seaside Street chase down his canine that had gotten away. The canine had been within the canal, moist and muddy, and it wished to play with a girl on the bike path who was deathly afraid of canine. The canine simply wished to play, however she was dropping it. I confirmed him some treats, grabbed his collar and received him again. Ever since, that canine liked me.
My craziest expertise was delivering mail after Irma. Mailboxes have been gone, so we’d bundle individuals’s mail and hold it on the submit workplace. If a car was there, I’d put it underneath windshield wipers. I used to be making an attempt to get round downed phone poles.
As a mailman, we love large mailboxes. Those which can be designed for letters solely, once they get {a magazine} or one thing, you’re screwed.
However we hate delivering big, lopsided containers of bathroom paper, paper towels – all issues you may get at Publix. And furnishings. If any person buys a home and decides to furnish it through Amazon, I’m caught with mattress frames, weights, all that heavy, heavy stuff.
I feel it’s essential for individuals to recollect that while you order one thing on-line, there’s an individual in between that transaction and your door. Individuals used to purchase 25-pound baggage of pet food as a result of they hated carrying larger baggage up the steps – however now they purchase 45-pound baggage as a result of it’s cheaper on Amazon. Simply don’t anticipate that mail individual to take it up the steps.
After I first began, the common variety of packages on a route for the day was 15. Now, that base quantity is round 80 or 90 packages – and that’s not counting the little ones that may match right into a mailbox. On Monday or the day after a vacation, it’s over 300.
I couldn’t let you know a favourite home on my route as a result of there are actually too many to call. They’re all fantastic. One yr, I don’t even understand how they knew, however I had a buyer go away a birthday card for me within the mailbox.
I liked watching children develop up on my route. Seeing them on the faculty, after which they’ll go away to varsity, and generally they’ll come again and bear in mind you.
The factor I’ll miss probably the most is seeing the individuals day-after-day and taking good care of them. I’m nonetheless getting texts from a few of them, and I do what I can – I used to be simply on the submit workplace yesterday speaking to a supervisor and ensuring their mail was okay.
Now that I’m retired, we’re going to journey extra. I simply received married, and we took a visit to Alaska final month. That was improbable and eye-opening. I made a decision to lastly strive directing on the theater, and this yr I’m directing “Little Store of Horrors.” And I’ve received some NASA rocket fashions that I’ve had for years. I can’t wait till I can sit down and take the time to place them collectively.