Ok JFT, here is my 2 cents for what its worth. I am one of those RCA's (5 years in) who has already completed one career and began another. I have always wanted to "drive" for a living. So after my retirement, I joined the USPS. Here is where my take may be a little different, I was in my previous career, the last 5 years inundated with new college graduates headed to my chosen field with their bright smiling hopefulness, encouraging, up beat morale, selfless attitudes, and unjaded view of the world I had been in for 25 years. The last few years, I began to feel as though, through the influx of technology, computers, interactive this, new wave that, and through the "no longer hands on " touch that had made me good at my career, that maybe, just maybe it was a natural evolution, out with the old, and in with the new.
Now, with 5 years in at the USPS, here is my take. I love this site, love that there is REAL information, real raw experienced based wisdom, logic, commonality, ranting, facts, appreciation for each other, ugliness, wisdom, hope from some, love for the craft, PRIDE in what we do(I feel that daily), partnership with each other, and my gosh the incredible work ethic to accomplish the job of RCA!!! However, I, now as a new RCA have to take a break from this site from time to time, because I do have, a bright smiling hopefulness, encouraging up beat moral , selfless attitude, and unjaded view of my new world!!! I get it I really do, the job of Mail Carrier Career or RCA has changed, I GET it. I have lived it in another career. BUT I want to keep my new, positive outlook so I use this site for information, to try to head off any mistakes I can born from experience and to connect with very update info, but I have met great people in different offices, lot of good, good people, met many fine people on my route, been appreciated , and thanked for doing a good job, been greeted at Walmart as a respected person, been told by my boss we did good, been frustrated, exhausted, confused, hopeless, lost, broken down on the side of the road, wet, cold, called in onto a route because someone broke down, wrecked, had a family member die, ran out of gas, had a child sick at school, all good reasons to leave the route, but we as a team have never failed to accomplish our given task. So, JFT, jump out there and give it a shot, its rewards can be very good, and if not , its not for everyone, but give it a long, long try at least 3 or 4 months, because it is not for the faint at heart. Best of luck to you and your family, my best advice, experience it and form your own opinion, then you can never wonder what if?
