The Snail Mail Birmingham Blues

Foreword

Snail mail is nearly gone, replaced by instant messaging, texting, Skyping, on-line orders, automatic bill pay, e-mail, voice mail and overnight delivery. The wonderful anticipation of the post delivery is an experience new generations will hardly be aware of. Today, you order something on-line; it arrives the next day. You want to ask your friends to go out, you send a Twitter or Facebook invite; replies are nearly instantaneous.

There was a time when we knew the mail delivery person. They came to our door bringing news from far away, dreaded bills and sometimes a bit of neighborhood info along with the weekly store ads that were so important for managing tight budgets and limited assets. They came rain or shine, wind or sleet. They knew our names and we knew theirs. They watched as neighborhood children grew up and went off to follow their own paths. They kept an eye on the seniors that lived on their circuit as they made their way door to door. We cheered them when they retired and greeted the new postal delivery person with respect and honor.

A time gone by....

[Editor's note: The Foreword was written by KimB.]

A small homage to the lost days when waiting for the post was an important part of the day.

The Snail Mail Birmingham Blues

I got the blues, the Birmingham blues
waitin' on a letter with the latest news.
I got the blues
Waitin' on a letter from you

Down in the Valley,
Where wild flowers grow,
You can hang your head over
and hear the wind blow,

My forty foot castle reaches the sky,
And I wait and wait for mail to come by,
But I got the blues,
Just awaitin' for a letter from you.

My red, red roses faded from view,
The blue, blue violets faded too
But Angles know that I say true,
The Angles know that I love you,

I got the blues the Birmingham blues,
Waitin' for a letter from you.

I'm not askin' for the Holy Grail,
Only a letter, sent by mail
I got the blues, the Birmingham blues
Waitin' on a letter from you.

Marion Bigelow February 2014