Return to Sender.....

Now I’m known to have a rather weird sense of humor. So you all may not find the humor in this, but in light of the last 4 months…. I just have to laugh.

I received a very strange call from my flute teacher. I’m taking flute lessons from the Cumberland Valley School of Music, and the fall semester is starting soon. So here I am at work, and the phone rings.

“Good afternoon, this is Melissa.”

“Melissa?”

“Yes?”

“Melissa Norman?”

“Yes?”

“Melissa, that’s really you?”

Slight pause… “yes, that’s me.”

“This is Dottie, your flute teacher? Oh my gosh, I’m so glad you’re there. I’m so glad I got a hold of you.”

Okay, weird. She sounded, almost upset. But… Dottie is normally a little… different. You know, the musician-y type. But she’s really nice, and she put up with me trying to make actual music come out of that darn flute, and she still seemed to think there is hope for me.

Anyway, she proceeds to tell me that the CVSM office had called her because my registration form they sent me came back undeliverable. So she asked for my address again. She still sounded a little strange. Then she said, “Okay, so I’m going to call the office back right away.” I’m thinking… “gee, this is really nice that’s she going to so much trouble--- but I’m an adult beginner flute student. Why on earth is she going to all this trouble?”

We chatted for a few minutes, and then I hung up.

Half an hour later, the phone rings again.

“Good afternoon, this is Melissa.”

“Melissa?” (different voice, same question)

“Yes?”

“Melissa Norman?”

Ok, major déjà vu.

“Yesss…..”

“This is Christy from the CVSM office? I understand you just talked to Dottie a little while ago.”

She went on to say that she just wanted to double check the address again. So I gave it to her. Then she asked me if I’d had any trouble with receiving my mail. I told her no, and then finally asked what was going on.
She hesitated and said… “Honey, I don’t know how exactly to say this… but when your registration came back it was marked that you were, um… deceased.”

WHAT?!?!

I was stunned for a moment, and then I laughed. I couldn’t help it. I stupidly said, “Well.... I’m not!!” She kind of laughed too. I realized that somehow the post office must have gotten Emily and I mixed up. So I told her about Emily. Which I hate doing to people. It catches them off guard, and they never know what to say. And it’s worse when you get the really sweet people like her. She sounded like she was going to cry, which made ME want to cry… so I did what I always do when I get uncomfortable. I make jokes.

“So… I wonder if all my bills are returned to sender marked ‘deceased’ if I still have to pay them?”

She did laugh though, so the crying situation was averted.

Poor Dottie… no wonder she sounded so strange on the phone.

I find myself laughing, until the underlying reason for the whole mess hits me again. Then it’s really not quite as funny as it seemed.

Dad’s going to go have a little talk with the Post Office though- one, they are returning the wrong one’s mail. two, we didn’t ask to have her mail returned in the first place. Ahh the joys of living in a small town...

So in the meantime, if any of y’all have mailed me anything--- don’t panic if it comes back. I am still very much here.