triats
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      TriBUlaTiONs
      Of
      a
     
     
      TWenTysOMeTHinG
     
    
   
   
    
     
      bY
      s.
      LiVinGsTonE
     
    
   
   
    
     
      AnD
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      |
      REALIZE
      THAT
      |
      HAVE
      NOT
      SUBMITTED
     
     
      anything
      to
      the
      bold
      and
      unconventional
      X.Press
     
     
      lately,
      but
      the
      lethargic
      aura
      that
      has
      been
      weighing
     
     
      me
      down
      for
      the
      past
      collection
      of
      days
      and
      nights
     
     
      is
      beginning
      to
      fade.
      My
      newfound
      motivation
      and
     
     
      industrious
      behaviour
      may
      be
      attributed
      to
      the
      fact
     
     
      that
      patches
      of
      grass,
      although
      not
      yet
      green,
      can
     
     
      now
      be
      seen
      on
      our
      campus
      as
      the
      snow
      takes
     
    
   
   
    
     
      leave.
      The
      smell
      of
      mud
      is
      in
      the
     
     
      air,
      and
      |
      must
      admit
      that
      it
      is
     
     
      quite
      refreshing.
      A
      colleague
      of
     
     
      mine
      from
      Kelley
      Bldg.
     
     
      informed
      me
      that
      the
      aroma
      |
     
     
      found
      so
      appealing
      was
      actually
     
    
   
   
    
     
      the
      smell
      of
      worms.
      |
      do
      prefer,
     
     
      however,
      the
      idea
      that
      |
      appreciate
      the
      smell
      of
      mud
     
    
   
   
    
     
      in
      themonth
      of
      March
      (such
      outrageousalliteration)
     
     
      rather
      than
      the
      fragrance
      emitted
      from
      a
      crowd
      of
     
     
      worms
      casually
      wandering
      about
      campus.
      |
     
     
      discovered
      quite
      recently,
      though,
      that
      although
     
     
      Spring
      is
      in
      the
      air,
      many
      people
      are
      still
      caught
      up
     
     
      in
      the
      cruelty
      of
      Winter.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      _
      lt
      was
      during
      my
      first
      visit
      to
     
     
      the
      Canada
      Post
      office
      on
      Kent
     
     
      Street
      that
      |
      realized
      some
     
     
      Charlottownians
      have
      yet
      to
     
     
      secure
      a
      sense
      of
      renewal
      in
      the
     
     
      presence
      of
      Spring-like
     
    
   
   
    
     
      conditions.
      |
      did
      not
      go
      the
      post
      office
      to
     
     
      complete
      an
      investigative
      report
      for
      the
      X.Press.
     
     
      The
      primary
      reason
      for
      my
      presence
      at
      the
      post
     
     
      office
      was
      to
      mail
      a
      letter.
      That
      alone
      should
      not
     
    
   
   
    
     
      shockyou,
      as
      Canada
      Postis
      in
      the
      business
      of
      letter
     
     
      delivery.
      The
      letter,
      however,
      that
      |
      went
      to
      mail
     
     
      was
      rather
      paramount
      to
      my
      future
      as
      it
      was
      an
     
     
      application
      to
      a
      university,
      and
      the
      deadline
      for
     
    
   
   
    
     
      receipt
      of
      that
      application
      was
      the
      very
      next
      day.
      I
     
     
      recognize
      my
      own
     
     
      procrastination
      in
      leaving
     
     
      everything
      until
      the
      final
     
     
      minute,
      but
      stalling
      the
      process
     
    
   
   
    
     
      is
      part
      of
      my
      character.
      This
      is
      al
     
     
      unimportant
      information
      though,
      so
      |
      will
      attempt
     
     
      to
      find
      my
      way
      back
      to
      the
      topic
      of
      discussion.
     
    

    
     
      |
      entered
      the
      post
      office
      through
      an
      automatic
     
     
      sliding
      glass
      door
      installed
      to
      createa
      very
      futuristic
     
     
      and
      efficient
      view
      of
      Canada
      Post.
      |
      felt
      more
      as
     
     
      though
      |
      had
      just
      entered
      the
      Starship
      Enterprise
     
    
   
   
    
     
      rather
      than
      a
      depot
      of
      efficiency.
      Because
      of
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      poorly
      executed
      design,
      and
      the
      small
      size
      of
      the
     
     
      post
      office,
      my
      place
      in
      line
      was
      in
      front
      of
      this
     
     
      automatic
      door.
      Each
      and
      every
      time
      |
      moved
      even
     
     
      a
      millimetre,
      the
      door
      would
      slide
      open
      and
      then
     
     
      close,
      sometimes
      not
      even
      completely
      before
      it
     
     
      would
      throw
      itself
      open
      again.
      |
      thought
      this
     
     
      constant
      opening
      and
      closing,
      and
      the
      noise
      of
      the
     
     
      door
      sliding
      here
      and
      there
      with
      every
      move
      |
      made
     
     
      was
      madness,
      but
      according
      to
      the
      bland
      look
      of
     
     
      indifference
      on
      the
      faces
      of
      the
      others
      in
      line,
     
     
      oblivious
      to
      the
      door’s
      movement,
      |
      assumed
      |
      was
     
     
      the
      only
      one
      affected.
     
    

    
     
      After
      waiting
      only
      a
      few
      minutes
      |
      was
      called
      to
     
     
      the
      counter
      bya
      tall,
      slender,
      postal
      employee.
      |
      do
     
     
      not
      know
      his
      official
      title,
      and
      |
      am
      sure
      he
      has
      one
     
     
      of
      far-too-many
      words,
      but
      to
      save
      time
      and
      space,
     
     
      |
      shall
      refer
      to
      him
      as
      a
      teller.
      The
      teller,
      |
      did
      not
     
     
      have
      the
      chance
      to
      be
      formally
      introduced,
      asked
     
    
   
   
    
     
      me
      where
      the
      parcel
      was
      going,
      when
      it
      had
      to
     
     
      arrive,
      and
      then
      told
      me
      delivery
      would
      cost
      $9.50.
     
     
      He
      was
      very
      fast,
      very
      efficient,
      and
      very
     
     
      discourteous.
      After
      |
      handed
      over
      ten
      dollars,
      he
     
     
      reached
      into
      a
      very
      important
      drawer,
      tossed
      a
     
     
      shipping
      form
      on
      the
      counter
      and
      shouted
      “next”
     
     
      before
      |
      had
      even
      moved
      away.
      |
      interrupted
      and
     
     
      asked
      what
      |
      was
      to
      do
      with
      this
      form,
      only
      to
      be
     
     
      answered
      with,
      “your
      address
      here,
      the
      other
     
     
      address
      there...NEXT”.
      |
      was
      becoming
      violent,
      so
     
     
      |
      quickly
      exited
      through
      another
      sliding
      door
      and
     
     
      left
      the
      building.
     
     
      |
      drove
      furiously,
      screaming
      at
      other
      defenceless
     
     
      drivers
      who
      should
      not
      be
      permitted
      to
      drive
     
     
      motorized
      vehicles,
      and
      arrived
      at
      the
      Student
     
     
      Union
      minutes
      later.
      Betty,
      the
      compassionate
      one
     
     
      behind
      the
      deskat
      the
      SU
      office,
      helpedme
      complete
     
     
      the
      confusing
      shipping
      form
      and
      |
      was
      off
      again,
      to
     
     
      another
      post
      office.
      |
      decided
      to
      try
      the
      postal
     
     
      outlet
      at
      the
      |GA
      supermarket
      in
      West
      Royalty,
      and
     
     
      there
      |
      found
      |
      courteous
      teller
      who
      gladly
      took
      the
     
     
      parcel
      and
      mailed
      it.
      |
      did
      not
      hesitate
      to
      tell
      her
      |
     
     
      found
      the
      Kent
      Street
      outlet
      to
      be
      very
      unfriendly.
     
     
      |
      cannot
      understand
      the
      absence
      of
     
     
      professionalism
      and
      common
      courtesy
      that
      |
      met
      at
     
     
      the
      Kent
      Street
      post
      office.
      |
      realize
      that
      Canada
     
     
      Post
      prides
      itself
      on
      efficiency
      and
      the
      fact,
      that
      it
      is
     
     
      a
      Crown
      Corporation
      makinga
      profit,
      but
      efficiency
     
     
      does
      not
      have
      to
      mean
      the
      elimination
      of
      customer
     
    
   
   
    
     
      service.
      If
      only
      the
      teller
      had
      said
     
     
      “hello”
      when
      lapproached
      him,
     
     
      or
      had
      even
      smiled
      at
      me,
     
     
      maybe
      my
      hostility
      towards
      this
     
     
      postal
      outlet
      would
      be
      a
      little
     
     
      less
      intense,
      but
      for
      $9.50
      |
     
     
      expect
      at
      least
      a
      forced
      grin.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      WHO
      IS
      THIS
      MAN,
      AND
      WHAT
      DOES
      HE
      WANT>
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Munem
      MuCXo
      mele
      aio
      Maan
      (Ok
     
    
   
   
    
     
      VP
      internal
      94-95
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      VOTES.
      LOTS
      OF
      'EM.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      "BECAUSE
      HE'S
      GOOD
      ENOUGH,
     
     
      AND
      HE'S
      SMART
      ENOUGH,
     
     
      AND
      DOGGONE
      IT,
      PEOPLE
      LIKE
      HIM."
     
     
      (NOT
      EVERYBODY,
      BUT
      SOME
      PEOPLE.)