A large, ornate, Art Deco post office. Signs on the facade say THE UNITED STATES POST OFFICE -- GARDENPATH -- MARYLAND. Steps and a ramp lead up to the main entrance on the second floor. A tunnel leads through the center of the first floor, so that the sidewalk leading up to the building is uninterrupted. Trees and shrubs surround it.

I love my Post Office box.

The inside of the post office, just as ornate on the outside. Greg Glass, mid-20s, slim build, white, with his back to us, faces a huge wall of post office boxes. He wears a backpack and a pair of rubber gloves.

Yeah, I could just get my mail delivered to my home address, but...

A diagonally split image. The upper/left part of the image shows Greg's PO Box, #613, and his gloved hand holding the key to it. The lower/right part shows a messy entryway table with crumpled and stained envelopes, a half-crushed beer can, a mug, an ashtray, and half a sandwich beside the mail holder.

I appreciate the privacy, the consistency, the security, of having an address separate from whatever temporary and chaotic living arrangements I might find myself in.

Greg's PO box, open. A label at the back says GREGORY GLASS. Inside are a few small packages and several envelopes. One of the small packages says THESE TAPES HAVE EYES. Another has the words WEEKLY INTERNATIONAL NEWS... visible.

And there's always something good waiting for me.