When listing jobs that take a toll on their respective laborers, mail carrier rarely gets a mention.
It should.
Consider Jamie Hunt, whose career as a carrier for the Iola post office came to an end Friday.
Hunt made nearly 700 stops along his route in Iola, daily, walking 10 to 12 miles at a time.
Its not an old mans game, Hunt said, age 59. Thats a lot of miles on my legs. Ive never totaled it up, but its a lot.
The daily grind, and achy knees, played into Hunts decision to retire, after more than 33 years with the United States Postal Service.
I had knee surgery last summer, Hunt said. It wasnt a total replacement. They just cleaned some things up, but it played a role in my decision.
Hunt had become a fixture in downtown Iola as he made his appointed rounds at the businesses surrounding the courthouse square, frequently stopping to chat with the local merchants.
When you get to meet the same people every day, you get to know them, he said. Theyll tell you about their grandkids.
In part, the daily visits could be attributed to Hunts affability. The other part was a sense of duty to the Postal Service.
I realize my position is what most of the people see as the post office, he explained. I try to be as friendly as I can be and talk to everybody, not just because I like to be with people, but because it shines well on the job, too.
You know, it sounds like a cliche, he continued. Im not going to miss my job, but I am going to miss the people Ive come in contact with.
One of Hunts other postal duties was to spearhead the post offices annual food drive each May. That role will be handed off to another carrier, but Hunt already has offered to assist when this years drive rolls around.
Its just something Ive enjoyed doing, he said. We were never very good at keeping records, so I dont know how much food weve collected through the years. Its been a lot.
HUNT, a Humboldt native, never thought much about a postal career until seeing an advertisement for a civil service exam.
He completed the exam, then promptly forgot about it.
I didnt hear anything for about two years, so I figured nothing came of it, he said.
