For most of us inspiration and reward often comes when we least expect it. And we have no way of repaying it… It just happens. All we can do is quietly accept it and bask in the warm feeling that in our own small way we’ve made a real difference to someone.
As a part of my chequered career I once did a four-year stint as a postman at the South Yarra Post Office in Melbourne. Like most things I’ve ever tackled, I took immense pride in my work. Those were the days when Postmen, like the Bank Managers and Station Masters of old, were respected members of society who people looked up to and felt they could trust.
In fact, many of my customers yearned for a snippet of conversation whenever my presence was heralded by the friendly sound of my whistle. I’d talk to them about the weather, the health of their cat and any other ‘happenings’ in their lives. But I had to keep my eye on the clock for my run took in four large suburban blocks with over eight hundred customers eagerly waiting for the ‘Postie’ to brighten their day with a letter and a bit of a chat. So to get me back to the office on time I devised a little strategy to not only give them the time of day, but allow me to move on mid-conversation without hurting their feelings. After the conversation had gone on for a minute or so, I’d simply start rolling my bike, then with a friendly smile and ‘Till tomorrow…’ I’d move on.
I thus played my part in this timeless image of the suburban Postie we thought would go on forever: A friendly person who did nothing more than ride his bike around the streets putting those precious letters in the letter-box. The truth is being a postman was quite an onerous job. In those pre-email days a postman was already at his desk sorting his mail for the day’s delivery around 6’oclock in the morning and wouldn’t finish till two o’clock in the afternoon. This included redirecting wayward letters and doing his best to find the rightful owner of poorly addressed mail. This was crucially important as often a single letter could mean the world to someone.
One day, a Christmas card from Canada, addressed to a customer in my area, was returned to my desk with the word ‘Deceased’ scrawled across the front of the envelope in red ink. Now, in those days, the strict rules of the postal system required me to add ‘Return to Sender’ and send it back to Canada. I remember sitting there perplexed, thinking: There must be a more sensitive way of handling this sad news. After all, I knew this kindly man who had died. Over the years he’d become my friend for we used to enjoy a regular chat.
So I took it upon myself to cover the insensitive announcement with a white sticker and, after some discreet inquiries, put the letter in a new envelope with a note of my own:
‘Sadly Mr Jones is no longer with us. He died peacefully in his sleep three weeks ago. Laurie, Postman, Round 7, South Yarra Post Office.
I popped this in the mail and thought no more about it. A couple of months later as we were hectically sorting the Christmas mail, I received a letter from Canada addressed to Laurie, Postman, Round 7, South Yarra Post Office. I wondered: Who on earth would know me in Canada... and why would they want to write to me?
When I opened it, I discovered it was a letter of profound gratitude with regard to Mr Jones, thanking me for letting them know their dear friend was now at rest as they had worried about him for some time. They were particularly thankful for the thoughtful way I had conveyed the sad news of his passing.
In the midst of the friendly banter going on around me as my friends sorted their mail, I stood there reflective and deeply touched. I gently folded my precious letter and put it safely in my pocket to savor again later. All the money in the world could not buy the way I felt at that moment. Some rewards simply cannot be quantified in monetary terms, they are priceless. And being sensitive to the feelings of others is one way of making them happen.
Author Resource:-
About the author: Laurie Smale is an inspirational speaker, author and Master Speech coach. His ideas and inspirations on communicating effectiveness have changed the lives of thousands, whether you are speaking with one person or in front of hundreds. What makes his approach so accessible and friendly is there are no ‘set rules’ to worry about getting wrong. His life-changing self-help products include, ‘Being The Confident Speaker You Want to Be!’, ‘One Step to Panic-Free Public Speaking’, ‘How to be a Conversational Success’, and ‘How to Create Your Own Charisma’. Check them out at http://www.conversationmagic.com.au And the added bonus is that with all his products you get Laurie as your personal email coach for life!
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