Bob CollinsBack when my now-97-year-old mother was a spry 80-year-old Yankee, she would occasionally change some light bulbs in the kitchen near the door on a fairly rickety stepladder.
Her children, of course, warned her not to do that but you can’t tell old Yankee women what to do in their own house. That’s just not how it works.
Besides, she had a plan.
“I only do it around the time the mailman comes,” she said.
Because if she’d fallen and hurt herself, the mailman would rescue her. He was the latest in generations of mail carriers who looked out for her and everyone else on their route.
Back in the day, the people who delivered the mail became the thread of a neighborhood and a big part of its life.
So I was all in when @LR_Carlson (and @atrupar) passed along this thread on Friday of one mailman spending his last day doing his part to be the daily glue in a country that is too quickly coming apart.
THREAD: Floyd Martin retires after nearly 35 years as a mailman tomorrow. I went with him on his route today. pic.twitter.com/qZhUVY7Sz8
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 22, 2019
Lots of the "mail" Floyd picked up today was hand-delivered. "My people are so good to me," he said. "I'm going to miss them." pic.twitter.com/e6Mi8WctZl
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 22, 2019
Floyd is a tall, slender, very fit 61. His job involves lots of walking, which keeps him in great shape. But he is done with the heat. In summertime, the mail truck is basically a rolling oven. Last summer, Floyd decided, would be his last. pic.twitter.com/8v7HtKlCcV
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 22, 2019
Floyd is the youngest of 4. It was his mom's idea for him to join the USPS. He's sad she's not here to see this send-off. Joyce Hardin's mother is on Floyd's route and said he totes her newspaper to the porch. "Thank you for taking care of mama, after daddy passed," she said. pic.twitter.com/8hdnKf22Xt
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 22, 2019
Floyd lives in Atlanta with his dog Gigi. It'll be a little weird to just receive mail and not deliver it anymore. "I'm just going to smile," he said. He doesn't have children, just the 500 houses worth of kids he spends 6+ hours with every day. He hopes to go to Hawaii one day. pic.twitter.com/W0RHdRvzgj
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 22, 2019
Update! People on Floyd's route decorated their mailboxes to surprise him on his last day pic.twitter.com/7vo8Gepv2s
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 24, 2019
Once his very last shift was finally over, the neighborhood had another surprise for Mr. Floyd. 300+ people came to a covered dish block party in his honor. pic.twitter.com/8UvAclP6CA
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 24, 2019
People stood in line all night for hugs and photos. Floyd's known these guys since they were babies. "Now you guys are as tall as I am!" pic.twitter.com/yb6UwiyJtz
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 24, 2019
There was a huge buffet set up with covered dishes people brought but I don't know if Floyd got a bite to eat or not .. he posed for a zillion photos! pic.twitter.com/C64KJ7Ax0d
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 24, 2019
Floyd has seen his people through many of life’s changes. Some good, some bad. They’ve done the same for him. “You were there when I needed you, even if you didn’t know it.” pic.twitter.com/CAPx1nDY2H
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 24, 2019
Floyd said tonight’s sendoff was the nicest thing anyone’s ever done for him. His parting words: “Continue to take care of each other, and smile when you think of me.” -30 – pic.twitter.com/OsYgT1PgCp
— Jennifer Brett (@Jennifer__Brett) May 24, 2019
I know what you’re thinking: “the man wants to see Hawaii someday. The internet should do that thing the internet does so well.”
