Resolutions and Mailboxes

A neighbor of mine has an ongoing problem. He lives on a curve at the end of a long straightway, and when the road gets icy, at least one car will inevitably take the corner too fast and slide. As a result, he’s been through a lot of mailboxes.

He tried bigger, sturdier posts, but they were still no match for a two-ton truck sliding on the ice. At least once every winter the mailbox would go, and he’d have to prop up the broken pole in a bucket and wait until the ground thawed to try again.

Finally, he hit upon the solution: bend instead of break. He rigged up this sawhorse support for his mailbox. When a car sends it flying, he simply has to unfold it, anchor it with a couple of big rocks, and set it up again. Genius.

This time of year, I tend to make these promises to myself to lose weight, get organized, and be more productive everyday, and yet somehow, it doesn’t happen. Something comes sliding in off the ice and wipes out my good intentions. This year, I’m trying to think of resolutions like my neighbor’s mailbox support; they’re not broken, just knocked over. Pick them up, fold out the legs, and carry on.

Maybe it will even work. We’ll see.