Getting To Know My Mailman

Summary

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Podcast Summary: “Getting To Know My Mailman”

Podcast: Can I Walk With You?
Host: Thoraya
Date: December 4, 2025

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Episode Overview

In the season one finale, Thoraya takes a walk with a New York City mailman, engaging in a heartfelt conversation that explores dreams, loss, resilience, and the power of small connections. Set against the backdrop of the city's streets, the conversation showcases the everyday profundity in a seemingly ordinary life, revealing how kindness, community, and personal transformation shape us.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Simplicity and Calling of a Mailman

• Childhood Inspiration: The guest shares how the magic of mail delivery as a child—especially the stories about coming from “Santa’s place”—inspired his lifelong ambition.
  • “When I was a kid, I used to see the mailman... the mailman always delivering. And all the kids knew he came from Santa’s place. He’d tell us he came from the North Pole with Santa Pat.” (B, 00:19)
• Joy in the Job: He continues the Santa myth for local kids today.
  • “…I’m coming from the North Pole. Santa needed extra help. His elves were overworked.” (B, 00:39)

Overcoming Loneliness and Anger

• Personal Growth: The mailman candidly discusses a dramatic transformation from being "rage filled" and alone to finding increased peace and self-acceptance.
  • “I used to be this crazed rage person, rage filled person. But now I’m more at peace with who I am.” (B, 00:55)
• Advice for the Lonely: He emphasizes the importance of supportive friendships and finding people who uplift you.
  • “Find you a good group of people who will uplift you instead of people who will bring you down… give you the confidence that you need.” (B, 01:41)

Moving to New York and Loss

• New Beginnings After Loss: He reveals he moved to New York from Baltimore after the death of his mother left him feeling untethered.
  • “My mother had passed away and there was nothing left in Baltimore for me to stay for. So it was time for me to go and find a new way of life.” (B, 02:06)
• Connection with Dogs: The mailman’s affection for dogs offers moments of humor and connection during the walk.
  • “If I could, I’d put him in my little cart and carry him back to the station.” (B, 02:40)

Grieving and Cherishing Loved Ones

• Intense Grief: He discusses the spiritual and emotional aftermath of losing his mother.
  • “I used to think God was a cosmic joke because he took my mom. You know, everybody else who treat their mom like CR still have theirs.” (B, 03:14)
• Cherishing Memories: The importance of cherishing loved ones while they’re around is a central theme.
  • “If you still have your parents, cherish them while they're still on this earth. Love them while they're still here. Because once they're gone, they're gone.” (B, 03:57)
• Favorite Memory: He fondly remembers his mother’s cooking, wishing he had kept her recipes and missing the unique understanding she provided.
  • “I wish I would have kept those recipes that she had, being in the kitchen while she was cooking, because my mother was physically blind... I miss her cooking most of all.” (B, 05:26)

The Value of Friendship and Connection

• Finding New Family: After his loss, he describes how close friendships—particularly one friend who is like a sister—help him continue the practice of companionship.

  • “I now do that with my best friend that I call my sister. ...we just sit on the phone and listen to one another, breathe once in a while...” (B, 04:16)

• Affirmation from Thoraya: The host reflects on the mailman’s warmth and the power of small interactions.

  • “I truly believe that you're making the world a better place. You made my day better. I think you made me a better person.” (A, 06:09)

Last Message to the Listeners

• Call for Kindness: His closing advice urges kindness and courtesy, noting the unpredictability of life and the importance of human connection.
  • “Try to be kind to others, because you never know what may come out of everything... right now, we are living in uncertain times. So we don’t know when our next helping hand is going to come from just a random stranger off the street.” (B, 06:48)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Personal Change:

  • “I used to be this crazed rage person, rage filled person. But now I’m more at peace with who I am.” (B, 00:55)

• On the Magic of Mail:

  • “Of course I wanted to be the mailman... I’m coming from the North Pole. Santa needed extra help.” (B, 00:39)

• On Grief:

  • “I used to think God was a cosmic joke because he took my mom. You know, everybody else who treat their mom like CR still have theirs.” (B, 03:14)

• Universal Advice:

  • “If you still have your parents, cherish them while they're still on this earth. Love them while they're still here. Because once they're gone, they're gone.” (B, 03:57)

• On Kindness:

  • “Try to be kind to others, because you never know what may come out of everything... my day has been enlightened and better because I met you on the street.” (B, 06:48)

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• Intro & Invitation to Walk:
  • 00:01–00:19
• Becoming a Mailman & Early Dreams:
  • 00:19–00:47
• Transformation and Finding Inner Peace:
  • 00:55–01:25
• Advice on Relationship and Friendship:
  • 01:41–01:59
• Moving from Baltimore & Love of Dogs:
  • 02:02–02:48
• Reflections on Loss and Grief:
  • 03:09–03:57
• Cherished Memories of Mother:
  • 05:23–05:57
• Kindness as a Life Philosophy:
  • 06:48–07:19

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Tone & Atmosphere

The episode is gentle, sincere, and reflective, balancing moments of humor (especially around dogs and mail tales) with poignant reflections on loss and healing. Thoraya listens deeply and encourages the mailman’s vulnerability, leading to a warm, deeply human exchange.

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Final Message

The mailman’s story, like the city he walks, is shaped by movement, encounters, and resilience. The episode closes by reaffirming the beauty found in everyday kindness and the possibility of starting over, leaving listeners with both the ache of loss and the hope of connection.

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Transcript

[A]

Excuse me. Is it okay if I walk with you?

[B]

Okay.

[A]

Is that all right? So the whole point is to go on a walk and try to get to know each other.

[B]

It's not really much. To me, I'm just a very simple man with very simple qualities.

[A]

How do you like being a mailman?

[B]

It taught me a lot more patience. It gives you a lot of inner thoughts and inner peace. When I was a kid, I used to see the mailman always delivering. And all the kids knew he came from Santa's place. He'd tell us he came from the North Pole with Santa Pat. Of course I wanted to be the mailman. I want to be able to deliver packages too and see the kids. And that's what I do. I see them outside, they be like, he's delivering packages. I'm like, no, I'm coming from the North Pole. Santa needed extra help. His elves were overworked.

[A]

So you've wanted to do this since you were a kid?

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Oh my God.

[B]

Just give me one second.

[A]

Yeah, no worries.

[B]

I used to be this crazed rage person, rage filled person. But now.

I'm more at peace with who I am. I have to say.

I'm not as crazy as I used to be. I'm not as alone as I used to be. I used to be a loner, just a down to earth person who is just trying to make it through this thing we call life without having to have so many downsides to it.

[A]

Also, maybe for other people who are feeling lonely, Let me wait for that truck.

Do you have any advice for them? Like how are you able to change that for yourself, to look within?

[B]

Mostly, if you have the chance, find you a good group of people who will uplift you instead of people who will bring you down. Find friends who will actually.

Give you the confidence that you need, who confide in you and you confide in them.

Best thing ever.

[A]

So you're not originally from New York?

[B]

No, I am originally from Baltimore.

[A]

And what brought you here?

[B]

It was a bad situation. That's when life changed. Because at that point my mother had passed away and there was nothing left in Baltimore for me to stay for. So it was time for me to go and find a new way of life. I am a dog lover. I will recognize the dog quicker than I recognize the human. Oh, sorry. Adorable dog. That's the one with the stick. He always comes with a stick. Always have a stick. This one always has a stick. I remember this one exactly.

[A]

The dog loves you. He's not leaving.

[B]

Yeah, like I said, I Love dogs. I love them. If I could, I'd put him in my little cart and carry him back to the station.

[A]

You just start kidnapping everyone's dogs?

[B]

I just. I'm not kidnapping them. I'm asking if I could borrow for a few hours. Bring them back. I'll bring them back before the end of the day. Thank you for sticking with me for the whole route.

[A]

Thank you for sticking with me. This has been fun. Have you had fun?

[B]

I have been having the time of my life. I am not gonna sit here.

[A]

Ma, I wanted to ask you this, and you don't have to answer, obviously, but you said you lost your mom at one point.

[B]

Yeah. It was a lot to actually deal with mentally and spiritually. Like, I used to think God was a cosmic joke because he took my mom. You know, everybody else who treat their mom like CR still have theirs. So it was like. It was a lot that was going on at that time that I just couldn't deal with when she passed.

I mean, I'm not calling my mom a saint, but I must say she was the best woman in my life.

Everybody makes their mistakes.

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

It was basically during middle school and high school, and I didn't have friends where it was that point where she was the only friend that I truly had. I wasn't much of a social person. I was always in the library. Books were my best friend. I mean, I tell anyone if you still have your parents, cherish them while they're still on this earth. Love them while they're still here. Because once they're gone, they're gone. You don't have those times where you can sit down and have a whole discussion with them, eat the food that they cook. That moment where you just sit on the phone and listen to one another, breathe. Right. Like, I used to do that with my mom, and I now do that with my best friend that I call my sister. She will sit on the phone, and she'll sit up there and watch YouTube. I'll be sitting there playing the game, and we just sit on the phone and listen to one another, breathe once in a while, and we'll have that random. Like. What? You say something? No. Okay. We have those moments. Yeah.

[A]

When I come to New York, sometimes I FaceTime my mom, and I forget that she's even on the FaceTime call with me. She just, like.

[B]

I learned that it was just her time. And he called her home because it was time for her to be reunited with the ancestors and with her mother and father that, you know, already passed.

Once God took her. It was like, there's nothing I could do. He just here we came and got her.

[A]

What's your favorite? Do you have, like, a favorite memory with her that you'd want to share.

[B]

With us or just having to be. I wish I would have kept those recipes that she had, being in the kitchen while she was cooking, because my mother was physically blind, so she was always cooking something, baking a cake, cooking some chicken, frying up something. So I miss her cooking most of all. And you know that one person who knows you like the back of their hand, so getting that advice that no other parent can give you, I do miss that.

[A]

That's good that you have really close friends. You said you have that one friend that you call and now you just sit on the phone and breathe with. So I'm like, I'm really happy that you have that.

I want to tell you before I wrap it up that I truly believe that you're making the world a better place. You made my day better. I think you made me a better person.

[B]

I think my therapist tells me.

[A]

Your therapist is right. Like, genuinely, you have such a good soul. Like, I could tell by just walking with you.

[B]

Yeah.

[A]

Even, like, the dog wouldn't leave. He was just, like, staring at you the whole time. But, yeah, I just want you to know, like, you're making the world a better place.

[B]

He knows I have snacks. He knows that I normally have snacks. Is that what. I ain't had no snacks today.

[A]

How I like to end it is ask the person I'm walking with. Do you have one last message for my audience?

[B]

Try to be kind to others, because you never know what may come out of everything. Every interaction that you make, try to be courteous to one another, because right now, we are living in uncertain times. So we don't know when our next helping hand is going to come from just a random stranger off the street. I have to admit, my day has been enlightened and better because I met you on the street and it's been a day. It has been a day being out here.

[A]

Thank you so much. Thank you. I really appreciate you. Have a good one. Hi, everyone. That was the last episode of season one of Can I Walk with youh? And I just wanted to take a moment to thank all of you for watching. I was able to do the entire podcast independently, which was a lot harder than I thought, but somehow I got through it. I think reading all of your comments and hearing how much you enjoyed the podcast and the series really helped. Again, thank you for that. With that said, I will be taking a little break before I start sharing season two with you, but that's coming soon, I promise. I already filmed a lot of it, so stay tuned for that. I think I just really wanted to end the last episode of season one of Can I Walk with you? By thanking all of you and thanking every single person who walked with us this season.