I must say that everytime I step into the Crown Road Post Office, I get all nostalgic...
I think about how life was some 19 years ago when I worked there. I met a lot of interesting people there.
And I did a lot of interesting things...
The year? 1988.
I was 18 years old, and it was the summer before my junior year in college. (I started college when I was 16). During the spring quarter, my chemistry lab partner brought me an application for a temporary position at the post office. She worked there during the summers, and thought I would like it. I usually worked temp jobs during the summers, so I applied for a night time position. I didn't want a daytime position because I wasn't getting along with my mother, and I was gonna do everything to get out of the house so I wouldn't be there with her. My rationale: Work at night and sleep all day. Ma works during the day, so I would have the house to myself.
My sister Kentucky was seven years old. My brother Milk and Cookies was only ten months old. I remember that he hadn't even started walking yet. 
I drove an old 1978 creme Thunderbird. I loved that car!
I drove an old 1978 creme Thunderbird. I loved that car! I was CONSTANTLY listening to J.J. Fad's new cassette tape (you know the one: SUPERSONIC!!!).
I was with my first real boyfriend, "Eli". Damn, I was in love with that boy. Goodness.
LIFE. WAS. GOOD.
Really good. And a bit scandalous at that!!
Rich, rich, RICH. I was making $5.50/hour as a college casual employee (6 month work detail for college students) at the Post office. My shift was from 7:00 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. I was only supposed to keep this job for the summer (3 months), but I continued it when I started my junior year of college. I would go home after work, and wake up at 6:30 a.m., so that I could make it to my 8:00 a.m. class. (If I tried to do that at my age now, I would be looking crazy). Sometimes I worked overtime. A LOT of overtime: 5-6 days a week, 9 hours a day, upwards to 50 hours . At times, I received a $500.00 check every two weeks. Yes, I was RICH!! LOL! (I would be living under a bridge if I made that much right now!)
LadyLee gets scandalous. I had a boyfriend that had his own apartment. That meant hours and hours of... never mind. Anyway, I didn't work overtime all the time. And there were even times when my hours were cut.
Now, on the nights that I didn't have to work? Let's just say I walked up out of the house like I had to work, with my badge on, and my lunch.
LadyLee gets scandalous. I had a boyfriend that had his own apartment. That meant hours and hours of... never mind. Anyway, I didn't work overtime all the time. And there were even times when my hours were cut.
Now, on the nights that I didn't have to work? Let's just say I walked up out of the house like I had to work, with my badge on, and my lunch.
"You have a safe time at work, Lee," Ma would yell.
"Alright, bye!" I'd yell in return.
I even got bold with it sometimes:
"Ma, I, uh, might be working overtime tonight. So I may not see you, since you leave for work at 6:30."
(Remember... I get off between 2:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m.) I would go straight to his house if I didn't have my 8 am class, LOL! )
"Well, I will see you tomorrow night."
"BYE!" I'd yell, right before slamming the front door.
*Lee kicking HARD fist pump and jumping in the T-bird and heading to her man's house.*
I was so scandalous. And she never caught on. (At least she never let on that she caught on.)
LadyLee gets REALLY scandalous. Now, like I said, I had a boyfriend at the time. Eli had been my boyfriend for a good year and a half by the time I started working at the post office. But, um, I started liking someone who worked my shift, another college student who attended some HBCU out in Texas. He did the college casual program every summer, and worked out on the post office loading docks. He was tall, Hershey bar dark (I like chocolatety men), and thick (I don't like skinny men). He did bulk mail pickups from my section every hour. He was nice, real polite, etc. I told someone that I thought he was fine. Somehow he got wind of that.
Now, I got in trouble with another chick there because she liked him. She caught wind of me liking him. (I didn't exactly like him. I thought he was cute. You see how stuff gets all changed around?) Well, she stopped speaking to me. Gave me all these dirty looks, and I'd heard that she wanted to fight me. I thought that was crazy. Like I said, I thought the guy was fine.
I had a man already, and was happy with him. What did I care?
Well, you know stuff didn't go down like that, right?
That's right ya'll. The Oldgirl started cheating. Me and this guy started hanging out. After a few dates, I started getting a few ideas.
We spent the night at a hotel somewhere out in Clayton county. I liked that hotel. I snuck off up in there a few times with my boyfriend before he got his own place.
Interesting.
I'm going to say this as nice as possible:
This guy, as wonderful as he was, did not satisfy the Oldgirl. Now take that, and run with it however you please. Whatever you are thinking right about now is probably the truth.
Anyway, I lost complete interest in him. What was worse was that he became more interested in me. I mean, the boy was giddy as hell. He would always want to sneak a kiss when he came to my mail cubicle, and I would appease him. Whatever.
"Well, I will see you tomorrow night."
"BYE!" I'd yell, right before slamming the front door.
*Lee kicking HARD fist pump and jumping in the T-bird and heading to her man's house.*
I was so scandalous. And she never caught on. (At least she never let on that she caught on.)
LadyLee gets REALLY scandalous. Now, like I said, I had a boyfriend at the time. Eli had been my boyfriend for a good year and a half by the time I started working at the post office. But, um, I started liking someone who worked my shift, another college student who attended some HBCU out in Texas. He did the college casual program every summer, and worked out on the post office loading docks. He was tall, Hershey bar dark (I like chocolatety men), and thick (I don't like skinny men). He did bulk mail pickups from my section every hour. He was nice, real polite, etc. I told someone that I thought he was fine. Somehow he got wind of that.
Now, I got in trouble with another chick there because she liked him. She caught wind of me liking him. (I didn't exactly like him. I thought he was cute. You see how stuff gets all changed around?) Well, she stopped speaking to me. Gave me all these dirty looks, and I'd heard that she wanted to fight me. I thought that was crazy. Like I said, I thought the guy was fine.
I had a man already, and was happy with him. What did I care?
Well, you know stuff didn't go down like that, right?
That's right ya'll. The Oldgirl started cheating. Me and this guy started hanging out. After a few dates, I started getting a few ideas.
We spent the night at a hotel somewhere out in Clayton county. I liked that hotel. I snuck off up in there a few times with my boyfriend before he got his own place.
Interesting.
I'm going to say this as nice as possible:
This guy, as wonderful as he was, did not satisfy the Oldgirl. Now take that, and run with it however you please. Whatever you are thinking right about now is probably the truth.
Anyway, I lost complete interest in him. What was worse was that he became more interested in me. I mean, the boy was giddy as hell. He would always want to sneak a kiss when he came to my mail cubicle, and I would appease him. Whatever.
I began dodging him like the plague. He soon caught on that I was not interested. We never talked about it or anything, but I just remember the last day I saw him. He caught me off guard while I was getting in my thunderbird.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye, LadyLee."
"Uh yeah. Hope you do well in school. This is your last year, right?"
He nodded.
"That's good."
We stood there looking at each other. It was 2:30 in the morning, and I wanted to leave because I was trying to get to my man's place.
"Lee, can I at least get a hug?"
Oh brother.
I hugged him, and dipped. I still remember him standing in the parking lot, watching me drive away.
I wonder how he's doing now, all these years later? Like I said, he was really nice. He just wasn't keeping it real in the bedroom. That was a very bad pet peeve of mine. Enough for me to lose your number.
I have a few other funny memories, but I won't detail them. (Ya'll know how long-winded I can be!) Those are the ones I reminisce about the most.
"Well, I guess this is goodbye, LadyLee."
"Uh yeah. Hope you do well in school. This is your last year, right?"
He nodded.
"That's good."
We stood there looking at each other. It was 2:30 in the morning, and I wanted to leave because I was trying to get to my man's place.
"Lee, can I at least get a hug?"
Oh brother.
I hugged him, and dipped. I still remember him standing in the parking lot, watching me drive away.
I wonder how he's doing now, all these years later? Like I said, he was really nice. He just wasn't keeping it real in the bedroom. That was a very bad pet peeve of mine. Enough for me to lose your number.
I have a few other funny memories, but I won't detail them. (Ya'll know how long-winded I can be!) Those are the ones I reminisce about the most.
Humph. Thank goodness I bring a book with me when I stand in those long lines.
Don't want to stand there reminiscing too much!! LOL!!!
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