For most of the summer, the street in front of my house has been under construction. Not just a patch here and there, but sewer and water lines being replaced, sidewalks being replaced, etc. This has resulted in some inconveniences like parking issues, water being shut off intermittently, noise, the house shaking due to large equipment being used-sometimes early in the morning, and a change in mail service. The mail service has been the biggest issue for me. Because the mail carrier can’t get to the front door, the city provided keyed boxes at the end of the street. As with most entities in Williston right now, the USPS is experiencing high demand and limited help. Williston is one of the very few areas that has an abundance of high paying jobs, so finding people to work in jobs that pay a “normal” salary is a real challenge. This has meant that mail is delivered at inconsistent times. I fully understand the challenges that are being faced and this isn’t meant as a complaint, just recognition of the situation. Normally, this wouldn’t be that big of a deal, but it has become more than a mere inconvenience. There are some days that I find myself needing to go to my mailbox several times before finally finding that the mail has been delivered. I would enjoy the walk except for the fact that I have to walk down my alley. I try to present a positive attitude about the changes that are occurring in Williston, but the fact is that safety is an issue. I live in an area that attracts more traffic than other areas, both vehicle and foot traffic. With that, there is also the increased possibility of individuals with less than honorable motives frequenting the area. Walking down my alley to get the mail can cause some fear at times. Add to that the fact that outside of work, there isn’t anyone in my life that I talk to on a regular basis. If something were to happen, I wouldn’t be missed until I didn’t show up for work. As you can probably guess, this can result in a little anxiety. As the days start to shorten, the probability of me finding myself going for the mail in the dark becomes more of a reality.
Yesterday, I heard the familiar sounds of large equipment working in front of the house. In an effort to get an idea of when the work would be completed, I ventured outside to talk to one of the workers. This wasn’t an angry confrontation. I just wanted an idea of what to expect. I ended up talking to a very nice lady who worked for Knife River. She was using a shovel to clean up the area and get it ready for the sidewalk crew. Her coworker was running the back hoe. During our short conversation, I learned that she was from Oregon. She came to Williston to avoid losing her house. Her 18 year-old daughter is still in Oregon, “keeping the home fires burning”. She has one grandchild with another on the way. She is also a quilter. Because she is living in work housing, she doesn’t have the luxury of enjoying her hobby and was disappointed that she hadn’t been able to make a quilt for the soon to be grandchild. She misses her children and grandchildren terribly, but because she works 6 days a week, seeing them is not an option. I went back into my house…the house that I own…the house that holds all of my stuff….and went to enjoy my hobby of quilting. I found myself very grateful for what I have…even with the inconveniences that have come about. I also thought about how much this woman and I have in common. I miss my kids and grandkids terribly and hope for the times that busyness of life slows down enough for us to spend time together, by phone, Skype, or in person. We both have a hobby that we really enjoy. We’re both women just doing the best that we can in the situations we find ourselves. I wish now that I had asked her name and maybe offered an occasional respite from her work housing environment. With God’s grace, I might have even offered to let her use my sewing room so she could, maybe just for a few moments, experience a little normalcy. (Those who know me, know that I don’t let ANYONE touch my sewing equipment =) ) I think I really missed the boat on this one. I could have been a real blessing to this woman but I let the opportunity slip away. I will pray for her and hope that she will cross paths with people who can be a blessing to her. Maybe next time, I’ll do better.
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