“Anything that was going to go wrong with you will go wrong with you.”

- Peter (the guy who trained me at the post office)

I’m on the precipice of 40, six years deep into working at the post office and my entire mindset towards life has changed. I prioritize things differently. I’m calmer, my anxiety has decreased and I’m in the best shape of my life. I’ve had 40 years of existence and 6 years to walk all day and ponder it.

People ask me if I listen to podcasts or books while I work. I don’t. I don’t even bring my phone with me. I’m just out there in the world rattling thoughts around in my silly brain.

When I’m in a good mood it’s the perfect way to keep my good mood. I think about what makes me happy and noodle on creative ideas. When I’m in a bad mood it’s a great way to ruminate on why I hate everything so damn much.

I work outside in on the coldest February days, in the middle of snowstorms trying not to slip on the ice. Grumbling about people not shovelling their sidewalks. I’m out there in the blistering sun on the hottest summer days sweating and burning in the sun. I’m out there delivering piles of soggy paper mush during rainstorms. And on every sunny spring day some random passer by will say “I wish I had your job.”

And I softly mutter “Fuck you” under my breath.

Most days I start off not wanting to be at work. In the depot where I grab my mail it’s a horrible environment. The corporation has made it so the job is very tough to enjoy. Consolidation in the name of efficiency is not efficiency. It’s just less jobs and more work. It’s pretty clear the corporation resents their employees. But once I’m out in the streets, alone and walking unsupervised, it’s all I ever wanted.

Quiet contemplation.

“Only ideas won by walking have any value.”

- Friedrich Nietzsche

I’ve been reading a lot of philosophy lately. So as I walk, it gives me time to contemplate those dusty old thinkers thoughts, what constitutes a well lived life, and also the inevitability of the post office phasing out walking routes. So many people on the streets ask me about it. “When’s it coming?”, “Where will they put the boxes?”, “Is your job safe?”. You know the big philosophical questions.

I don’t know. For now, today, I just put mail in mail boxes.

There’s a regular on my route. Bob. He hands me a bottle of water everyday. “Devinnnnn!” he sings to me as I approach. “Bob, How’s it going?” He’s still friends with many of his old mail carriers and if I’m lucky I’ll get into that hall of fame. He worked in the Ford plant before he retired so he knows the struggles of a corporation and a union. Solid guy that Bob. In the politest way possible Bob said the other day: “You’re a bit of a weirdo. Every letter carrier I know is a bit of a weirdo. I mean that in a good way.”

Bob’s not wrong. We are all kind of nuts. Every one of us alone all day. We all gravitate to this job just so we can be alone. Most of the work force is made up of people who burnt out from other careers. I know people with doctorates, bankers, bartenders, oyster farmers and artists all working for the post office. It’s work you never have to bring home with you. And if you do, it’s a crime.

“You have power over your mind. Not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.”

- Marcus Aurelius

Before the post office I was constantly looking for work that brought me a sense of purpose. I wanted a career. One that I could talk about with pride. A title that said “look at me, I’m important”. I was looking for work that justified my three college diplomas. What I’ve learned is:

I am not my job.

My job is what affords me food and shelter. This job Is what I use so that I can supplement my income while I do the things I like. Write, draw, make music, and perform. And coming to terms with it just being a job has been freeing.

It’s gruelling work don’t get me wrong.

I honestly hate it most days. And I don’t really want to work there. Of course I want to just make my money performing on stage, drawing little comics and writing a once a month newsletter.

But that just may never be in the cards for me. And I’ve come to terms with that. I will still always do those things though.

But at the moment this job gives me what I think everyone deserves.

A little quiet contemplation during a long walk. You think about where you are going, where you’ve been and appreciate how far you’ve come.

I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet.

-Confucius

A few years ago my knee was in serious pain. So much so where I thought that there would be no way I could continue working at the post office. Turns out as a kid I had Osgood-Schlatter disease. Which just means my knee grew kinda messed up and is prone to knee pain. Because of this I got a meniscus tear and patella tendinitis. All that to say it hurt to walk and I couldn’t sit down for too long without extreme pain.

I had to go to months of physio therapy and get expensive custom orthotics. Portions of which are covered by my benefits. I even did this experimental thing where they jab my knee with a bunch of needles and take my blood, throw it in a centrifuge, and just take all the good blood cells then jab it back into my knee. It was not covered by my benefits and made my knee swollen and worse. I was miserable and hobbled everyday at my job. But I healed.

“Not what we have But what we enjoy, constitutes our abundance.”

-Epicurus

That knee scare taught me to prioritize my health. Mental and physical. I stretch every morning so my knee doesn’t explode. I’ve been through counselling to deal with my anxiety and family struggles.

I’ve built a pretty steady routine.

I get 8 hours of sleep almost every night. I eat a boring ass meal of soaked steel cut oats with yogourt and berries every morning and dammit I love it. I write when I wake. Then I go to work.

I know that, sure the corporation I work for is actively trying to destroy itself, I know there’s horrific wars going on it the world, I know the premier of Ontario is a doink who hates the poor. But I also know everyday all I can do in those hours is put mail in mail boxes. And so I’m happy.

And it’s just cause I choose to be.

I’m someone who loves to be defiant. I bend most rules and question most norms.

And so for me the greatest act of defiance is looking at my little life and being happy with what I have. I of course aspire for more. But if I can’t be happy with what I have now I never will be.

“Anything that was going to go wrong with you will go wrong with you.”

- Peter

Things go wrong. Your body falls apart. All you can do is keep it together.

I don’t have lots of money. But I’m wealthy. I have great friends, a loving girlfriend, fulfilling hobbies, free books from the library and cold gruel to eat every morning under a roof.

The hardest part about quiet contemplation is being alone with your thoughts.

That also happens to be the best part.

This month there is no Secret folder! (if you are new here, once a month I attached a link to a secret folder where I put random things like songs and fun PDF’s)

In lieu, here is an unreleased comic I drew two years ago when I was on the picket line every day.

Shows!

Last Friday of every month it’s:

Smooth Comedy - April 24th | 8pm!

Tickets!

Men Love Horsies: The Musical

This is my big farewell show before I ride these horses off to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. It would mean so much to me if you came to this show. It will most likely be the last time I perform it in Hamilton.

Aug 8th | 8pm | Staircase Theatre!

Tickets!

The Edinburgh Festival Fringe!

If you just so happen to be in Edinburgh when I’m doing my show. Well that is cool! And boy howdy I think you should come!

Greenside - George St. | Mint Studio | 7:45pm | Aug 17-29th

Tickets!

A place to spend your hard earned cash!

I created this donate link because the cost of bringing a show to the Edinburgh fringe is pretty steep. Your money helps with venue rental, plane tickets, lodging, and marketing. So if you would be so kind as to donate. That would help me out. Or if you just like this newsletter enough that you went to shell out your hard earned cash that’s nice to.

Even a couple bucks goes a long way.

Donate?

Thank you so much for reading.

Devin