First off, I want to clarify: mail. M-A-I-L. Mail escort. A friend of mine bought me a t-shirt that said "Mail Escort" while I was working at the post office.

"Mail Escort" means "postal worker". A few years ago, I worked at the United States Post Office as a Rural Carrier Associate (RCA). It was there that I learned you really can cram 20 years of work into 6 months of real time.

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I still have nightmares (Getty Images)
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Pre-pandemic - remember those days gone bye? - I had to side-hustle my way through life as a part-time postal worker. The idea was that when I went career (full-time) within a few years, I'd have the best-paying job of my life with outstanding benefits.

And then...

The pandemic hit, and as an "essential worker" I got to keep working. And as an essential worker in the delivery field, I got to work all of the time. I was seriously a part-time worker logging in 60+ hours every week.

But right before that...

The Christmas season is always ridiculously busy for the post office. I have friends that still work there and basically say goodbye to their families for at least 6 weeks while they deliver all of the things (usually from Amazon). As an RCA, I was tasked with delivering packages (99+% of which were from Amazon) for postal routes. A rural postal route can be over 100 miles long, yet still only be about 10 minutes from the office at any given point. In those 100 miles, you see some sh*t.

Of Course, Of Course

One fateful day 4 years ago, I was delivering packages in my minivan. I made a stop for delivery, hopped into the back of the van to find the package, and then heard something sniffing me. I slowly looked back, and...

WILBUR! (Photo via Choad)
WILBUR! (Photo via Choad)
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A horse. A HORSE?! A horse.

Fortunately, he was a friendly (and curious) fella! I never realized how quiet horses can be.

A pic and a post on a community page quickly alerted his caretakers, who safely got him back home. He apparently moonlighted as an escape artist.

I really wish the dogs were as friendly as the horses.

Byyyyye! Image by Choad)
Byyyyye! (Photo via Choad)
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