The Rebel Courier Delivery Man: My New Hero

Hmmm, will you reclaimyour freedoms in the new normal?

I had an experience thispast week that caught me by surprise and gave me cause to reflect. It was avery simple experience that in the bigger picture hardly seems worthmentioning. But upon reflection, its place withinthe bigger picture is what makes it noteworthy.

The doorbell rang earlyone evening. I answered the door and much to my surprise it was a courierdelivering some books I had ordered. A courier delivery is, of course, commonplacein the order online, direct-to-consumer commercial business model that we havesettled into as a result of the pandemic and the restrictions imposed becauseof it.

But when was the lasttime a courier delivered a package to you and actually took the time to hand itto you directly? Most if not all of us would say at least two years ago.

The norm is now for thedelivery person to run up the driveway, toss the package on the porch, snap aphoto on a smartphone to confirm delivery and sprint back to the van. You haveto hope your neighbours are honest and no thief is following the delivery van.

The fact this man choseto revert to the old delivery model is a credit to him. He is very much a rebelin his actions which I salute and commend. He has clearly made a consciousdecision to go against the flow. It tells me he takes pride in his work and inexecuting it well, notwithstanding the fact that his supervisor would probablyargue that it impacts his productivity.

Each of us can andshould take a page for this man’s playbook. I have made the assertion in thepast year or two, making myself unpopular in some circles, that we should make personaldecisions about what we choose to accept or decline in the so-called new normal.

The prevailing wisdom isthat the new normal is a faitaccompli and that we must simply suck it up and fall in line. I have neverresponded well to that kind of peer pressure. I choose to go my own way andlive by my own principles. Yes, I am a rebel at heart and proud of it.

I will concede that thepandemic brought a paradigm shift in many respects for some of which there isno turning back. I am astute enough not to bang my head against an immovablewall although I will occasionally curse it. But I will bang my fist against adoor that has been closed which I believe should remain open – literally andmetaphorically speaking.

I did say thank you tothe courier who delivered my books. But in retrospect, I wish I had been moreeffusive. Something along the lines of…Hey,thanks man! I appreciate you taking the time to ring the doorbell and hand memy package. Good on you for bucking the trend. Here’s a five dollar tip toreward you for being so nice. You’re my new everyday hero!

As we turn the cornernext week on the pandemic restrictions and gain back our freedoms, I encourageyou take advantage of them. If you feel you want to still wear a face mask, goahead. You have my blessing. But if you feel like ditching it in the trash as Iplan to, by all means do so.

And to anyone who givesme a dirty look for not wearing a face mask when I am no longer required to, Isimply say: Deal with it. I choose not toembrace that aspect of the new normal.

~  Now Available Onlinefrom Amazon, Chapters Indigo or Barnes & Noble: Hunting Muskie, Rites ofPassage – Stories by Michael Robert Dyet

~ Michael Robert Dyet is alsothe author of Until the Deep Water Stills – An Internet-enhanced Novel whichwas a double winner in the Reader Views Literary Awards 2009. Visit Michael’swebsite at www.mdyetmetaphor.com .

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