By TAMMY SMITH

I am a postmaster who is blessed with five wonderful employees — two rural carriers, a substitute rural carrier, a postmaster relief and a custodian. I say “blessed” because all my employees are kind, thoughtful, hard-working people who daily do more than they are required to do in order to serve our customers. I am writing this letter for one reason only: to try to do my small part to prevent more tragedy from occurring to people like these.

On July 3, one of my regular carriers was hit by a drunken driver in Noblesville. Thankfully, she will live. Unfortunately, her injuries are severe, and it remains to be seen whether she will ever again be able to deliver the mail. Because the accident occurred after she had finished work for the day, she will not be covered by Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. Because the person who hit her was uninsured, she will be forced to apply for disability if she is unable to deliver mail.

Monday’s paper had nine items in the Arrest Log. Of those nine, five were for suspected driving while intoxicated. My message is for the countless others who weren’t caught, as well as for those five. I don’t want to be judgmental, but I desperately want you to understand. Forget about your victims, since I doubt that is a consideration when you are drunk or drinking. You may not feel impaired, but you can still get caught and arrested, and if you do you will have that on your record for the rest of your life. If someone else is at fault in an accident, but the responding officer notices you are intoxicated, the results are the same. You have a record, you lose your license, you lose your insurance, you may even lose your life. And, by the way, some injuries are worse than death.

Taxis run 24 hours a day. They are not as expensive as the movies make them sound. They are being hit hard by the gas prices, too, and would love to have your business. Young adults (and minors who drink, as well) who live at home, I want you to know that you will be in a lot less trouble at home if you admit to coming home in a taxi because you had been drinking than you would be in if you called your parents from the drunk tank — which is cold and smells of vomit.

Please, drinkers of all ages, have your fun. Enjoy life and let others enjoy theirs. And, please, please, remember that driving after you’ve had even one beer is never the right decision. You will never convince anyone that it was.

Tammy Smith is an Anderson resident.