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Home My WebLink AboutHuron Expositor, 2009-12-09, Page 6Page 6 The Huron Expositor • December 9, 2009 • Opinion --.. —.. .'......r... -,i..•,..*:•••••• +1e3.=,►.rY .•-' .... ... .4 Post office was the one constant during the past 150 years From Page 4 Dickson Block, which, until recent- ly, was where the optometrist office was located, . just south of the corner of Main and Market. Then, in 1911, construction on the present build- ing was started, and the post office opened for business in 1913.. Think about it, people have been picking up their mail from the same spot for almost 100 years. Many generations of families have traipsed . up those steps, and had their days brightened (or saddened) for years. How many wedding invitations have passed through hands in the building? How many letters to Santa, lov- ingly written, have helpful postal people steered in the direction of the North Pole? How many letters and care pack- ages to soldiers have been sent, through how many wars? How many letters to relatives far away, maybe even on another conti- nent? How many courtships? How many break-ups? How many birth an- nouncements, party invitations, birthday cards, sympathy cards and get well cards? How many bills? `Course when the post office was in its infancy, there would be no hydro, no phone, no television (so no cable), no natu- ral gas, no cars (so no gasoline), no credit cards, and you probably grew your own food and made your own clothes, so there should wouldn't have been many bills coming in the mail. (Good lord, what have we done to ourselves?) There were no other courier servic- es, the post office was the only game in town, and so come Christmas time it would be swamped with parcels. People didn't just pick up ando home for Christmas like people do now, so everything would be sent through the mail. And don't even get me started on the Christmas cards!! Every year when I was growing up, early in December, my mom would set up the card table in the living room to "do the cards." Heaven help the child who touched, bumped into, or somehow added disorder to You are invited to attend these area churches ST. THOMAS ANGLICAN CHURCH A Congregation of the Parish of The Holy Spirit Sunday December 13th Third Sunday in Advent • Piggy Bank Sunday Worship & Sunday School at 9:30 am • Everyone Welcome BETHEL BIBLE CHURCH An Associated Gospel Church 126 Main St. Seaforth 519-527-0982 Sunday School • AH Ages • 9:45 am • Sunday Worship 11 am Youth Group & B&G Club Wednesday 7 pm ° Pastor Mark Kennedy EVERYONE WELCOME NORTHSIDE UNITED Countdown to Christmas 2 White Gift Sunday Sunday Dec. 13th at 11:00 am A MESSAGE OF JOY Hot Cider & Carol Singing A Dicken's Christmas Carol 2:30 pm . Reading and Music Nursery & Sunday School 6. 519-527-2635 www.cavannorthsideunited.ca ST. JAMES ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH WELCOMES YOU 14 Victoria Street, Seaforth 519-345-2972 Sunday Mass 11 am ST. PATRICK'S, DUBLIN Saturday Mass 5 pm Sunday Mass 9 am FR. CHRIS GILLESPIE EGMONDVILLE UNITED CHURCH Pastor Steve Hildebrand Worship Dec. 13th 11 am Advent 3 Adult & Youth Sunday School at 10 am Elevator & Ear Buds Available Come Worship with us FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH 59 Goderich St. W. Seaforth 519-527- 0170 Sunday Dec. 13t 11:00 AM Rev. Linda Moffatt SundaySchool & Nursery Provided. IIIEveryone Welcome her system. Mom had quite a few cards to send. You see, we lived on Air Force bases, and were transferred frequently, so the list would grow each time we moved. Much as she professed hat- ing the chore, I know she enjoyed getting cards back from those people and "catching up" with everyone. Now it may be hard to imagine in this age of mega communicative de- vices, but theost office was quite honestly, the lifeblood of the commu- nity. It was the link to the rest of the world. It was how news came into the area, and how it went out as well. Word of mouth was great, if only it didn't take a day to travel 10 miles! Just imagine no telegraph, no telephone, no television. Contemplate this kids: no itunes, no itouch, no iphone, and (drum roll please)....no Internet! 150 Years. With all the radical changes in the last century and a half, isn't it great to know there has been one constant, the post office. What a lot of memo- ries for the people of Seaforth. I remember when my „Uncle Tom used to drive around town and pick up the afternoon mail from the street letter boxes we had here in Seaforth. He would take the mail to the post office and it would go out in that night's mail. Frank Phillips used to tell us that R YOU: duction ea, age spots skin ain St., South aforth, ON ow iwo 7-2888 he would send a letter out on the eve- ning train to Stratford, and the next day, he would have an answer back. My Dad remembers sending mail to his father at the Parliament build- ings (in Ottawa) in the morning and it would be in his father's hands that night. These days electronics mayseem to have taken over for the Pst Of- fice, but I guess I am still old school. I love writing letters and cards, and I love getting them in return. And, it has nothing to do with the fact that I have worked at the Sea - forth Post Office for almost 28 years. I spent a lot of my time writing let- ters while I was growing up, to all my relatives and all the kids I would meet at summer camps. There isjust something irreplace- able about writing a letter yourself, sealing the envelope, attaching the stamp, and dropping it in the mail, knowing it is on its way. But isn't it funny how life kind of goes full circle? For years, letters were the only way to communicate with people who were not with you. Then came the telephone and you could contact people far away instantaneously. Then came cell phones, so it was even easier. But along came computers, and with them the Internet. And all of a sudden people were sending e-mail. And texting people on their cell phones. Don't kid yourself, generation Y, you are all writing letters. The medi- um may have changed, but the mes- sage is still the same. "...and on the way I dropped it. A little doggy picked it up and put it in his pocket." JANOME 21oliday Savings! Purchase the JANOME Model 6600 & receive a free gift valed at $599.00. ew & av'e Centre 149 Downie Street Stratford 519-271-9660 Authorised Janome Sewing Centre