Reminiscences of a Bygone Era
Once upon a time, when a business accepted your money for the purchase of an item, they actually provided you with that item. And once upon a time, the US Postal Service actually functioned.
In December of 2024, I ordered a book from Amazon. I timed the order so that it would be delivered to my sister before her birthday in early January. Amazon took my payment. Nearly 3 weeks later, well past my sister's birthday, Amazon informed me that it was not available. They refunded my payment.
The same day (14 January 2025) that I was informed of the non-availability of the item that I had purchased, I ordered the very same book from Thriftbooks.com. That was shipped via USPS by Thriftbooks on January 16...from Phoenix, AZ. That's a 33 hour drive from me.
As of today, 29 January 2025, USPS has already managed to ship the book west from Phoenix (to Nevada), northeast (to Pennsylvania), south to Roanoke, VA (on 26 January)—a mere 30 miles from my home, yet farther south to North Carolina (today), and still has not been able to project a delivery date.
The book will likely arrive...eventually.
It is true that events never unfold in accordance with our expectations, though they may sometimes come close. Our expectations are always based on the past. [As I post this, I hear the mail delivery vehicle drive past my mailbox, without stopping.]
Bob