A Dead Letterbox

Some one asked me… “Where do your ideas for stories come from? I mean – these ideas are so off the wall… where do you get them from?”

I wasn’t sure whether the question was complementary or critical.

The answer to the question is simple… they just pop up everywhere.

For an example – the Dead Letterbox. It just was there and I knew when I saw it – I had to write about it. So I began with some research about “Dead Letterbox”.

For me the Dead Letter Box was a place in the Postal System that holds letters that get lost in the Postal System. Or perhaps they cannot be delivered for one reason of another and are then left in the Post Office’s Dead Letter Box. The conscience of the dedicated post man(person) is so great that they keep all the letters from all those years…. Yah right!

The fact of the matter I had not taken much time to think about it at all – until yesterday.

As we walked down the street, a place we have gone by often, I spotted the Mail delivery box. There it hung quietly in place for many years. The actual one that is in place now is rather new – but weathered looking. It is apparent that it has replaced other Delivery Boxes of the past. But as you think of it longer – it could have been there in the beginning. Now that must seem like a riddle – right?
Before I tell you more you will find in a Google Search for Dead Letter Box – a whole lot of stuff about “Spies, money, secrets and instructions”. But one quote is a good one to remember…
Quote…
“A dead drop or dead letter box, is a location used to secretly pass items between two people, without requiring them to meet.”
End quote…

Well in yesterday’s discovery that quote best describes what this best does… a location to secretly pass items between two people that never meet – here at least.

The Mail Box hangs on the Fence surrounding St. Peter’s Cemetery, High Street in Peterborough, Ontario. In the photo you can see the full address. Yes the Cemetery gets mail.

But my simple mind tells me that every one in the Cemetery is DEAD… you know D-E-A-D – no life… no need for letters… anything placed in this mail box is not going to be read for a long, long time.
The cemetery was Established in 1859. Canada’s Postal System began in 1775. So yes – it is possible that the first letters were delivered shortly after the cemetery opened. And from the look of and the information on the grave stones – they have been getting mail in the cemetery for a long time.

The largest stones in this graveyard are of very wealthy people of considerable status. One is/was a Senator! But the largest stones are those of the Bishops that are buried there. This photo tells you how important they were.
Just behind the Bishops are row upon row of the “Fathers” – lowly priests that lay in waiting for the big guys just in front of them. Then further back are row upon row of the “Sisters” – the nuns that had really done all the work in the parish – at the hospitals and the schools.
No I am not discussing church politics here – just telling you the way that they are buried.

(In the Protestant’s graveyards – Ministers never get that kind of treatment – and in Pentecostal churches well… they just… - AH… I don’t want to think about that right now…)

As I did more research on the Dead Letterbox I found the following on the Internet… there is a service that allows the Living to communicate with the Dead through Her Majesty’s Royal Mail in Britain… read the following and see the photo.

Quote from Keith Lockstone
If you want some letters home from beyond the grave, just pop some reply-paid cards in the coffin of your beloved. In a little-known service, Royal Mail/ Consignia/ Royal mail brings back mail from the dead with each of its incarnations - usually every 12 months. Second Class stamps may result in a delay of two years and prospective users of the service are requested to bury early for Christmas.

The British Guild of Mediums have dismissed the service as 'too slow and out of touch with the dead'. Their spokesghost went on to commend their own one-to-are you there? service which is hosted on their own unique Inter-Spirit Provider. Other groups such as the Embalmers Guild say they will have to be more careful not to rub their clients up the wrong way.

The Morticians Union have announced a range of shrouds with lace trimmed pockets for the cards and are offering packs of suitable stationery edged in black with twinkly bits.

AfterLife! the pro-death organisation have given the news a cautious welcome, emphasising people's right to a dignified death without the threat of reincarnation or resuscitation. 'We see the principle of freedom of communication and association as crucial to our way of death' said a spokesghoul. 'We are dead and wish to stay so.'
End Quote…
Now if that doesn’t beat all… they do get mail… and send mail back again!

Maybe the Catholics are a little closer to Heaven than we Protestants thought they were? There is definitely more to this story than meets the eye.

At this point in my life I have progressed from the occasional snail mail letter – delivered by my happy postman(person) – to about 50+ emails a day… It keeps me busy answering all that I get… now add to that My Facebook account, my Twitter, and other things like the telephone and Fax… I am at times buried – so to speak.

In a short few years from now – will I want to extend the mail service to the other side? I will be D-E-A-D and not have anymore mail or email to deal with.

I think it will kind of be like having an extended holiday… but when you get home you will not need to catch up on emails… snail mails… answering machines… to nothing.

So the mail box was empty last evening when I looked. YES – I did open the St. Peter’s Cemetery Mail Box to look… and there was nothing in it. And YES I will check from time to time. One thing I did notice… there is never any junk mail in their box… hmmmm?

When I get to heaven I will deliver many messages to my loved ones that have gone before. I likely will be very busy telling them what has gone on after they left here.

I want to tell my dad about his Great Grandkids that he never met. I would like him to be able to see Clifford, his great grandson named after him… play baseball. I would love for him to see Emma run like lightening as she plays soccer. I wish that he could see his other great grandsons – Jonathan, Thomas, Michael and Christopher play ball and hockey – they are amazing!

Yikes I have a lump in my throat and gotta move on… for Life today… and I have more mail that I have to answer today….

~ Murray Lincoln ~
http://www.murraylincoln.com/

Source:
Dead drop – Dead Letter Box
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_drop
Really - it happens in other places too…
http://www.cix.co.uk/~klockstone/humour/deadlet.htm