A VISIT TO THE LOCAL ITALIAN POST OFFICE
So here we are standing on line at the Post Office. We're going to be here for a while, so my favorite Eudora Welty short story, "Why I live at the PO" comes to mind. (If you haven't read it, I hope you will. And if you can hear it read by the author herself, in her inimitable Jackson, Mississippi voice, even better!) But now, back to the topic at hand. There's a handy sign posted overhead to remind us of the day, date and time. Let's have a look. Wednesday, November 14, 11:50. Sounds good, except that today is Monday, and last I noticed, it's actually July 15. "Well, at least did they get the time right?" asks Jim, a glass-is-half-full kind of guy. Nope. My watch says 11:30, and it's always set fast to make up for my lack of punctuality. How do I know I'm in Italy? The clientele offers a clue. Where else would you see patrons like these? And in what other PO could you buy Dan Brown's new book, ...