Odom Retires As A Mail Carrier After 22 Years
After working for the U.S. Postal Service for 22 years, Cathy Odom retired last week.
By David Howell
Editor
WATER VALLEY – For many of us on Main Street, a friendly greeting and warm smile accompanied the morning mail delivery as Cathy Odom made her rounds. Odom delivered mail on city route two for 22 years before retiring last week.
“It was a wonderful job, I loved every minute of it and I loved my customers,” she reported in an interview with the Herald last Wednesday, only 24 hours after her last day as a postal employee.
Starting in 1995, Odom’s career overlapped drastic changes as the mail volume peaked in 2006 and more recently experienced an increase in packages shipped by the post office in the modern era of online shopping.
Her day started at 7:30 each morning sorting mail for the route.
“Then you hit the road,” she explained as her first stop was at Fred’s before heading up Main Street and intersecting streets during the 33-mile loop. Lunch was a 30-minute break under a tree on Campus Street before taking off again as the post office monitors every stop and every mile on the route. Odom explained that in recent years, her efficiency was measured with 13 timed checkpoints along the route.
The love of being outdoors was a catalyst in her decision to apply for the job. After passing the test, she started out at as a part-time, flexible employee before eventually transitioning to full-time. The only downside to her job was the fear of lightning and dislike of cold weather.
“I never had any trouble with my customers and they never had any problem with me,” Odom added. During the miles that including walking and driving, she also avoided being the victim of a dog bite.
One reason was her friendly attitude was extended to pets along the route.
“I knew every dogs’ name,” she explained.
Her retirement coincides with the retirement of her husband, Chip Odom, (see story on Page 1) and the couple are excited about spending time together, attending functions for their two grandchildren and enjoying retirement.
