"A Thought To Ponder..."

When I was a young teenager, the arrival of a package was an exciting break from the doldrums of the day, especially during summer vacation from school. I remember when I was growing up, for years our UPS driver was a very handsome man in his early 30s who never wore shorts in the summer (maybe that wasn't a thing back in the 70s). But I remember he was always a striking figure of a man in his crisp brown uniform and cap. I also remember that he was always so friendly on his visits, flashing me a bright smile as I opened the door. He'd even strike up a bit of conversation as I signed the paper sheet on his clipboard. He'd always ask how I was doing and tell me to have a great day. I remember entertaining a fantasy about meeting him at the door with a cold lemonade and that he'd sit on the steps of our porch and talk to me as he drank it. Of course I never did that, but it was fun to imagine that he might have flashed his handsome smile at me for more than the 20 seconds he spent at our door every now and then.

During the pandemic, in a way my fantasy was finally fulfilled one day.  You'll remember back when UPS and Fedex drivers were our heros... I remember we were expecting a package and our driver had gotten into the habit of tooting his horn when he pulled up. This particular day, I sitting near the window when I heard his horn on a pretty warm summer day in 2020, so I stopped at the kitchen and grabbed a cold Gatorade from the fridge. I made it to the door just as he was turning to step off of the porch to say, "Thank you!" and offer him the drink. That day our current driver was wearing shorts, he's a handsome black man, maybe 45. As he wiped the sweat from his brow, he smiled broadly as he took the drink and  said, "Thanks!" And as I watched walking down our walk and back to his truck, I was instantly transported back to my days as a boy, floating back from the door with a package for Mom or Dad, on cloud nine, because a handsome man in a uniform took the time to smile at me and ask me how I was.

In all seriousness UPS is currently involved in a labor dispute as they negotiate a new contract with their union. I hope UPS workers can get the contract they need. And if they do have to strike, I support them. Everyone deserves a living wage, and in the richest and most powerful society in the history of the world, there's no reason that these folks we hailed as heroes just a couple of years ago should earn anything less. They've got a hard, physically demanding job and they deserve the wages and working conditions they're asking for.