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| Maplesville Postmaster Sherry Burt presenting Rural Carrier John Higginbotham the NSC's Award of Honor |
Next February, John will celebrate 35 years with the Postal Service. He grew up in Maplesville, still lives there, and has delivered there all of these years.
What has kept him safe all this time? "It's complicated," he said. "It's a lot of things."
In fact, he was right: he did have a lot to say about this topic. He offered so much good advice that we want to share it all with you:
He decided to be safe. "One thing that I think is very important is that I wanted to be safe from the very beginning," John said. "You have to be determined and concentrate, not be distracted by the radio and cell phones. The radio can be a big distraction. A lot of days, I just cut it off."
This purposeful decision also causes him to actively search for ways to be safer. When he notices that the locations of mailboxes may pose hazards, he works to have them moved to safer locations.
A modest man, John credits his faith as being the reason for this decision. "The Lord has just kept me safe by inspiring me to want to be safe, which I think that is the most important thing," he said. "God has looked after me.”
He visualizes worst-case scenarios to keep them from happening. "I have always assumed that every vehicle approaching is not going to stop or doesn't see me and that every ball always has a child behind it, " he said.
"I always assumed that at the top of every hill, around every curve, somebody was going to be there in the middle of the road. "
He maintains and equips his delivery vehicle. "I keep my vehicle in good shape," John said.
He and the other Maplesville carriers work together to examine each other's vehicles. All three carriers have also purchased strobe lights. "Strobe lights were big helpers," John said. "I got them after 10 or 12 years, and I noticed a big difference."
Because John has been a fixture in Maplesville for so many years, we had to ask him about some of the most interesting things that have happened on his route. He laughed and replied, "I wish that I had written a book."
He saved a man's houe from fire by getting a hose and calling the fire department. He has assisted multiple customers in times of distress, including helping a woman who was having a seizure in her yard. He has fixed lots of flat tires.
And when a customer's cow was struggling to give birth, John was a life-saver there, too. "I pulled a calf with him," John said. "I was raised on a farm.
But to him, it's all in a day's work for rural carriers. " Most rural carriers that I know go out of their way to serve their customers, serve them and also be friends with them. I have a good workplace, a good community."
Maplesville Postmaster Sherry Burt counts John as an invaluable asset. Here is her tribute to him:
John is an asset to our office as well as our community. He is an active team "worker," not just a 'member." As he leaves the office each day, he always asks if there is something he can help with.
His co-workers, as well as carriers from other offices, seek his experience and knowledge in regards to rural delivery.
He is active in his church, serves on the local utilities board, is a founding member of the local historical group, and is a volunteer with the Chilton County Baptist Association - Disaster Team. After the storms in April, John used his own vacation leave to work with this team to clear debris in several damaged areas. We are very proud to call John one of our very own.
John will also receive his Million Mile Award from the National Safety Council any day now. When it arrives, we'll make sure to be there to feature him again because he is one employee who deserves all of the priase and positive attention possible.
Postmarks thanks John Higginbotham for talking with us and Sherry Burt for the picture and for sending John's story our way.
