"Neither snow, nor rain, nor heat, nor gloom of night,
stays these couriers from the swift completion
of their appointed rounds." – Herodotus, 503 B.C.
Contrary to popular believe, the United States Post Office has no official motto or creed.
What it does have, however, is legions of loyal, determined employees who battle the elements every day to deliver old-fashion 'snail mail' to millions of customers on a near-daily basis. Mike Daly is one such employee.
Daly has been delivering the mail for nearly 38 years and has seen all manner of weather patterns during that time, from sweltering heat to blistering cold and torrential rain to bone-dry drought. So far, Daly said, this winter is in competition for the worst in recent memory.
"This is my 38th winter delivering the mail," Daly said. "This winter has started off than any we have had lately but not as bad as some of the winters in the late '70s and the '80s. We will make it through."
Daly's route is all walking, which means bundling up against the unusually low temperatures the polar vortex brought – and threatens to bring again – this winter. It's a daily battle against the elements.
"I don't mind walking through the snow," Daly said. "The challenge is trying to keep my hands warm enough to still sort the mail."
The bad weather patterns come and go, but Daly still gets up every morning to head out on his route. The good weather days are a reward to Daly, whose favorite aspects of his job are getting paid to spend the day outside and being able to interact with his customers.
Even if he doesn't deliver the mail in their area, other Valparaiso residents may recognize Daly from around town. He and his wife enjoy walking downtown during the summer and eating at the downtown restaurants.
In his spare time, Daly works out and plays basketball at the YMCA. He's also an avid runner, a bonding opportunity with one of his daughters and one of his favorite things about the Valparaiso community.
"My favorite race is the Popcorn Panic," Daly stated. "I take off work that day every year so I can run the race and spend the day downtown with me family."
"Valpo has a great running community. It is easy to find someone to run with."
