The other week I asked my 16 year old to mail a letter, and was stunned to realize that he did not know that you could put an outgoing first class stamped letter in the mailbox, put the flag up and have the USPS letter carrier, pick it up and deliver it. Simple, convenient and efficient right?
I, like many, value the simplicity and convenience of it, but often take it for granted as evidenced by the fact that I had never taken the time to stop and explain the service and value of doing this with my teenage son. It was so commonplace and part of the routine that I had forgotten that it was one of those teachable tasks that save you time and energy. Oh and BTW let me also show you how to change the water filter, do a load of laundry, separate the recycling and write a nice thank you note to your grandparents! As parents, we often have to stop and remember there are some things that our kids just don’t pick up by osmosis (thank goodness there are many things they do!) Apparently, mailing a letter was not one of them in our household. Understandably, we live in a digital world, where we are hyper- focused on texting, emailing and Instagram. As digital pushes around some of the more traditional ways of communicating – like actually talking on the telephone, face-to-face encounters and letter writing—take on the challenge this Memorial Day weekend to use some of the tried and true…red, white and blue… ways to have a conversation.
Here’s an idea — Raise the flag this Memorial Day to not only honor our fallen heroes who bravely sacrificed their lives for our freedom but to show patriotism in another way — support for our country’s United States Postal Service. Write a note or pen a letter to a friend you have not connected with for a while, a distant relative, a member of our military serving overseas. I bet there are many that would love to get a letter from you. Then, put a USA FOREVER stamp on it and “send”.
When you look around at all the flags flying this Memorial Day, remember the “flag” on your mailbox and what is means to have this service at the end of your doorstep. Write a letter, drop it in the mailbox and put your flag up for the USPS!
There are many ways to serve our country, let’s keep mailing and honor the 240 year old tradition of the USPS.
About the Author, Judith Maloy is Director and CEO of Polaris Direct, a nationally acclaimed high-volume direct marketing services company in Hooksett, NH. Polaris Direct works with Fortune 500 companies and marketing agencies to create winning integrated direct mailing programs. She is a cheerleader for the USPS and a supporter of all things mail.