eh, at least it's a post

It was kind of cool seeing the boxes. They were shipped from California over a period of five days. There were five boxes total but taped together: in a group of two and then a group of three. Each set had a sample business card taped to the end. My design exposed for all the UPS personal from the West Coast to the East Coast to see.

Okay, so the package only actually passed through two warehouses but I’m trying to tell a story worth reading here.

I don’t know why all five boxes didn’t have a sample card taped to its end and I don’t know why the box of Sue’s business cards had a sample card of Melissa’s taped to it. But then maybe that’s how print shops out on the West Coast roll.

I stole a few from each box and lined them up in five small stacks. “I made this,” is what I said to myself, even though it wasn’t proper English. I make a lot of things; usually small runs, usually highly custom, usually seen by few. But these were five thousand business cards that looked like some professional charged a boat load for the making.

I called the owner at her house.

“Hi, it’s Tim.”

“Hi, Tim. I love the cards.”

“The business cards?” I asked with slight surprise because I didn’t think she had time to see them because I had just left the office and she wasn’t there and know she was at home, which is only a half block down and across the street but still I was certain she couldn’t have seen the cards but then it dawned on me that just the night before I had printed one hundred postcards and she and I had talked about those yet. So, ever so smoothly I said, “Oh yeah, the postcards. I ran out of time for cutting them. I cut a few and then left the rest.”

“Yeah, Mary was cutting them today.”

“Yeah, I don’t think I actually need to be cutting them. Someone else can do it.”

“You’re absolutely right.”

“The business cards are in.”

“Oh, when?”

“I dropped them off on the way to mowing your lawn.”

“You mowed my lawn?”

“Yup.” Her mower has been broken for over a year so when her lawn gets to be an eyesore I’ll mow it.

“I was wondering do you want my old mower? I think it still runs but it wouldn’t have been able to handle what was there today.”

“I actually just dropped off my mower to the repair shop, finally.”

“Good.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.”

I then mentioned how one of her neighbors, who happens to be a captain in the police department noticed me mowing the lawn. He recently knows me from sitting in some weekly meeting which he occasionally attends, not from pushing a mower so I think the sight confused him. I dropped some clues as we started the appropriate small talk. He caught on and I think it helped our business relationship.

I used to make part of my living pushing a mower. I don’t mow for money anymore but I do mow for free, especially for friends in need.