Several years ago, he was deliving to rural cluster boxes when a child who was about 10 years old approached. "He asked for his mail, which I couldn't give to him. We're not allowed to do that," Jacky said.
Jacky watched the boy walk behind his vehicle, and suddenly, the boy disappeared. Jacky kept looking and still couldn't see the child.
"I wondered where did he go?, so I got out and walked around. There he was, laying on the ground behind the back wheel of my truck," Jacky said.
The child was not injured: he had placed himself there in that prone position. There was never any real explanation for the boy's bizarre behavior.
The only thing that was clear to Jacky on that day was that if he hadn't been paying attention and gone to the trouble to getting out and looking for the boy, the ending to this story would not have been a happy one.
That story exemplifies why Jacky Bostick has received multiple safety commendations (last year, he achieved the Million Mile award during his 30th year of Postal service), including his most recent accolade, which he is holding in the picture above, the National Safety Council's Award of Honor. He believes in patience, care and focus.
"Being safe is just really about taking your time, especially in high-risk areas, and trying to watch other folks," Jacky said. "But there's a little bit of luck involved, too.
He encourages drivers to always remain attententive to their surroundings. "The biggest problem I have is other people on the road," he said. "When you pull over to service a box, you really have to keep looking behind you because people can and do come out of nowhere."
"People don't give you the room that they should, even when there is no oncoming traffic. They have a lack of respect for your space," he said. "I've had to jump out of the truck before because I thought that somebody was going to hit me."
Jacky's Postmaster, Sandra Batchelor, wants us to know that not only is he an excellent driver but is also a gem of an employee and person. About him, she wrote:
Mr Bostick is always upbeat despite the physical hardships that he overcomes daily. He is always smiling and always dependable. There is nothing he wouldn't do for his family or friends. He is a good Christian man and a man of his word. I would love to have 100 more employees just like him. It is an honor to serve as his Postmaster.Jacky, congratulations on your much-deserved award; we are grateful for your dedication to the Postal Service and commitment to your community.
Postmarks also thanks Headland Postmaster Sandra Batchelor for telling us about Jacky and for sending his picture our way.
