The Letter

Most people have their mailbox in front of their house or at least at their driveway or across the street.

My mailbox, however, is down the street and to the left. I put it down there because, at the time, no one else in the neighborhood had mailboxes. They all had post office boxes, apparently, even though they could have mailboxes if they wanted them.

I could never figure that out.

When I learned that I could have a mailbox, I could have, I suppose, gone across the street and dug myself a hole in the neighbor's yard and put a mailbox in. I guess I have a right to do that, because, as it turns out, most people don't own the edge of their yard. The government, to some degree or another, has a right of way.

But I figured that if I ever wanted the neighbors to speak to me ever again, that it would be a bad idea for me to put my mailbox in their yard, even if it was just the edge of their yard.

They had a very nice yard and it didn't seem right.

So I put my mailbox down the street and around the corner because that's where the Browns had their mailbox and they didn't care if I put my mailbox next to theirs.

It's been years since I've had my mailbox next to the Browns and when I get my mail they wave if they're out in the yard and Ruby their dog will come out to greet me.

I'm never quite sure if Ruby is happy to see me or ready to bite me.

She's a blue heeler and sometimes blue heelers can be hard to read. Overall, however, she's a good dog and we both mind our peace so I guess you could say we get along. We have what you'd call an arrangement. She doesn't get too close to me and I don't try to pet her.

Like I said, I've been going down the street and around the corner for years now to get the mail which is a nice little walk. But sometimes you get a pretty good armful of mail - most is junk, but some of it isn't and even sometimes it's nice to open up the junk just to make sure it is, in fact, junk.

Especially if it reads: Important Account Information enclosed.

Because sometimes Important Account Information is, in fact, Important Account Information. I know this because I've thrown it out only to get a call from the Important Account Information folks wondering why I haven't paid my bill.

If there is one bad thing about a mailbox it's that you can and do occasionally drop mail . Most of the time you catch such a mistake and nothing comes of it. But sometimes you just plain old lose it.

I had some mail rescued the other day. It was the telephone bill. Not exactly the most important mail on Earth, because let's face it, if you lose the telephone bill, the telephone company will be more than happy to send you out another one.

But still, it was more important than the average envelope.

Carlee Brown, the young neighbor girl, found it and put it back in my mailbox with the following note, perhaps the sweetest correspondence I have ever received. At least it's the sweetest correspondence I can share with you publicly.

Here it is, unedited:

Have a good week.

Chris Peterson is the editor and a columnist for the Hungry Horse News.