A National Holiday Proposal
What are the elements of a holiday? Funny hats? Crowds? Adjusted hours at the post office? Ice cream? These are sufficient to put me in a festive mood!
Well I am a tax procrastinator of long standing. I put off filling out the forms out of a paralizing yet irrational fear that a simple error of mathmatics or pure ignorance will land me rotting in a cell for 20 to life. Yet when all forms are complete and my parents have assured and reassured me that I don't make enough money for anyone to care about my honest mistakes, I really enjoy joining my fellow procrastinating Americans in line at the post office.
When I was a freshman in college I was in charge of mailing my own taxes for the first time. It was about 11pm on April 15th when I found out that the downtown P.O. was closed already and I had to go in search of the main post office. I pride myself on a fierce sense of direction and found the spot with plenty of time to stop at a gas station and get a popsicle. Thus was born my personal celebration of tax day. And you know, when you're that late, you don't even have to get out of the car? Curbside service, man!
So this year I was on my way back to the city after a refreshing springtime visit to my parents house, the magical woodland paradise where I grew up. I had considered hitting the 30th St. P.O., but fearing congestion, settled on the Southeastern PA office in Wayne. ( I remember my dad mailing us anonymous Valentines there once so the postmark wouldn't give him away. That's funny! I don't actually remember ever getting a Valentine from my dad. Funny how memory works!) There was a sizable backup of traffic, but it was a balmy spring evening, I was rockin' out to the ipod, and to my great delight, in the bag of groceries on the back seat was a pint of ice cream! Yay! And the men standing at the curb collecting envelopes were wearing red, white, and blue hats! My celebration is reborn!
So next year when you're cursing the US treasury, be sure to map out a route to the post office that will afford you a stop for a frozen treat! Maybe we sould wear funny hats too, in solidarity!
Well I am a tax procrastinator of long standing. I put off filling out the forms out of a paralizing yet irrational fear that a simple error of mathmatics or pure ignorance will land me rotting in a cell for 20 to life. Yet when all forms are complete and my parents have assured and reassured me that I don't make enough money for anyone to care about my honest mistakes, I really enjoy joining my fellow procrastinating Americans in line at the post office.
When I was a freshman in college I was in charge of mailing my own taxes for the first time. It was about 11pm on April 15th when I found out that the downtown P.O. was closed already and I had to go in search of the main post office. I pride myself on a fierce sense of direction and found the spot with plenty of time to stop at a gas station and get a popsicle. Thus was born my personal celebration of tax day. And you know, when you're that late, you don't even have to get out of the car? Curbside service, man!
So this year I was on my way back to the city after a refreshing springtime visit to my parents house, the magical woodland paradise where I grew up. I had considered hitting the 30th St. P.O., but fearing congestion, settled on the Southeastern PA office in Wayne. ( I remember my dad mailing us anonymous Valentines there once so the postmark wouldn't give him away. That's funny! I don't actually remember ever getting a Valentine from my dad. Funny how memory works!) There was a sizable backup of traffic, but it was a balmy spring evening, I was rockin' out to the ipod, and to my great delight, in the bag of groceries on the back seat was a pint of ice cream! Yay! And the men standing at the curb collecting envelopes were wearing red, white, and blue hats! My celebration is reborn!
So next year when you're cursing the US treasury, be sure to map out a route to the post office that will afford you a stop for a frozen treat! Maybe we sould wear funny hats too, in solidarity!
posted by Eiren at 8:15 AM
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