While yesterday's story about the residents of Pear Tree Grove, St Catherine, building their own post office carried the headline 'District puts aside politics to build a post office', the story did not speak much to long-standing matters of red and green.

Instead, Basil Walker of the community's citizens' association told The Gleaner that "it's not so much that the community is divided, it is just that sometimes there is resistance to join each other. But I keep saying we are just one people, let's work together to achieve something worthwhile, no matter what the politics".

It would seem to us, though, that that 'resistance' is as much a manifestation of colour-coding as the harsh words, fisticuffs and bullets that fly in other more urban, if not urbane, communities. However, the building of the post office facility is testament to the fact that 'resistance' is much easier to go around than the 'border lines' in so many communities.

To corrupt the Labour Day slogan, in the face of the community's needs, resistance is futile. Those needs underscore the value of the postal service to those of us, especially in more urbanised settings, who would dismiss it in this 'Instant Age', in which communication with someone thousands of miles away comes with the click of a button. The post office will facilitate the delivery of pensions to the elderly, the registration of births, deaths and other important records, to residents of nine adjoining communities, as well as, naturally, delivery of mail.

Sobering reminder

It is a sobering reminder to those of us comfortably cruising the information highway, that the 'snail' mail is still an essential part of life for many Jamaicans. It is easy to disregard those who are not on that virtual highway or are far removed from the tangible four-lane roads that are increasingly bisecting the greenery outside the major town centres and cities.

While Mr Walker says that it was all voluntary work, it is noteworthy that he points out that "the ladies especially turned up in their droves to help cast the concrete". It has become almost cliché that women are the backbone of the society (although we maintain that a spinal column is of no use without corresponding muscle) and it is easy to take their contribution for granted, hence the reminder is welcome.

Freedom of self-reliance

We also note that there was no mention of financial contribution from either major political party. So now that the Pear Tree Grove Post Office is complete, it cannot become a political pawn.

In effect, by building their own mail facility, the people of Pear Tree Grove have removed an essential part of their lives from the scourge of political patronage. There will be no 'resistance' to be overcome on that matter come the next round of outright politicking.

They have stamped out the colour-coding where that is concerned.

That lesson, the freedom of self-reliance and independence, is, we believe, an open letter to us all.

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