The irony always rings twice

I received a letter in the mail today.

The letter is from the U.S. Postal Service.

It invites me to volunteer for a study to help them “understand and improve processing and mail delivery.”

The study would require me to spend “only a few minutes a day” to report the kinds of mail I receive each day. I would make these reports “via an easy-to-navigate website.” (Hmm. Where have we heard that before?)

I hope I won’t seem like a disloyal American when I say that I won’t be participating in the study.

For one thing, I often can’t spare “a few minutes a day.” And I’m sure I’d be forgetful; as it is, I sometimes have trouble remembering to floss. (Just ask my hygienist.)

But even if I wanted to participate, there’s another problem.

Although the letter I received today is from the U.S. Postal Service, it was not sent to me by the U.S. Postal Service.

It was sent to me by my stepmother.

She had received the letter at her home because it was addressed to me at her address.