The mailbox flag that would not stay up
A mailbox flag is the kind of job a person could maybe do herself, if the day was better and the house did not feel so quiet. A woman I knew called because it would not stay up. She said it was silly to ask. I said silly is when you ignore a thing for six weeks and then get mad at the wall. I could come by for a personal visit,, no big truck needed.
There was her watching from the porch with iced tea and no urgent mail. She kept apologizing and then standing close enough to see what I was doing. I thought she was nervous about the repair. Looking back, maybe she was lonely, but at the time I was focused on the little hinge screw because hardware is where I understand feelings better.
I got down low and checked the fit. First try was not honest, so I backed it out and lined it up again. She asked if I needed both hands. I said yes, eventually, but the trick is steady pressure first. That is TRUE for a lot of household problems, but I meant this one.
When it finally held FIRM, she smiled like I had done more than I did. I told her not to force it if it started acting up again. She said she liked that I took my time. I said rushing makes holes worse. Then I wrote MAILBOX FLAG - A FLAG SHOULD NOT DROOP WHEN NEEDED in my notebook.
Job was simple, mostly. Still, some simple jobs make people breathe easier when a man comes over, gets low, and leaves things lined up,, which I always considered customer service and not a mystery.
Comments are turned off for now. I had a form here once and I do not know where the messages went,, which is not a system.