I always say that the Heavy Season for the mail is October-April. It’s when our parcel counts skyrocket and our letters double or triple. This is why it’s always difficult for me to find writing time during these months, as I’ve said before.
But April, the last month of the season, always feels like a personal letdown.
It’s happened consistently enough that you’d think I’d have prepared for it by now, but you’d be wrong. April is the final month of tax season in the US, and it’s also when the most people move house. Maybe not nationally, but it is for my little route in small-town Louisiana. Upwards of 80 people, individuals or families, change their mailing address in this one month alone. It’s my job to make sure that they get all of their mail delivered correctly, even if that means helping them fix their mistake.
(Sometimes, they move only 2 or 3 houses down the street, and this drives me insane. I’m a creature of habit, so seeing the same name on 2 addresses for 1 street is hella confusing.)
What this does to me is to wear me down physically (as usual) and also mentally (for a change) at the post office. Normally, I’d welcome such a change, since the majority of the day is spent being so bored that I make sound effects while walking just to break the monotony. I’ve been on my route for so long that even the more aggressive dogs have accepted me and stopped growling.
Unfortunately, this means that my writing suffers. I’ve said before that winter is a rough time for me to hit word count goals, but the final month of the Heavy Season is just abysmal.
I’m hoping that, as the last of the tax mail goes out and the parcel count lowers to a manageable (to me and my writing desire) goal, I’ll be able to both put up more posts here and finish out a project. I do have more short stories, namely the Star Wars adventures. I told the players I’d get Adventure 1 written this month.
That’s a lofty goal, but damn it’d be nice.
Swift's Corner 