The "Faces of Strangers: #20" Story

Tom, the mailman

It was an ordinary day.  Standing on Water Street with my camera pointed toward one of the fascinating homes from the 1700's when someone says, "Did you see the neat feature on that home at the other end of the street?"  I turned my head and there stood a mailman with a hand full of mail.  "Which house are you talking about?" I said to him.  "The one down the street past the flag.  Actually the one two houses from the other end, since just about every house on this block has a flag," he replied with a laugh.  He then went on to tell me some of the history associated with the house at the other end of the street.  Then he said, "I just assumed, since you had the camera in your hand  you were interested in the history of Chestertown (Maryland) and I could help you."  Just then my wife joined us as he was telling me about how they removed the roof and added another floor and if you look carefully you can see the different color of bricks and mortar on the second floor.  I headed down the street to get some photos while Carol talked with him and a fellow who was loading some paint cans into the rear of his truck.  I returned just in time to see the mailman get back in his truck and grab another batch of mail and head down the street.  I yelled to him asking if I could get a photo of him and asked him his name.  "Name's Tom," as he posed for a photo.  Then the handyman by the truck said, "And, besides being a mailman and historian, he also plays drums in a band.  Group's called the Vice Squad."  After hearing that I had to ask Tom about the band and he told me it was an oldies band that played just songs you could dance to.  Well, he finally got back to his route and Carol and I finished our walk along the waterfront of the Chester River.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.