LETTER: Thanks for letting me be part of a Sesame Street neighborhood

Watching island life unfold from behind counter of a tiny post office

Cote-Hale at the post office on Little Deer Isle. Courtesy photo.

There was a time when I felt like I was living in an episode of Sesame Street. But instead of a colorful television set, my stage was a tiny post office on Little Deer Isle, Maine.

I was the postmistress, the one-woman show. I opened the doors, sorted the mail, sold the stamps, handled the packages, and greeted whoever happened to wander in.

But the best part of my job had very little to do with the mail.

It was the people.

Every day brought a familiar cast of characters through that door. Some came for their mail, some came for a little conversation, and some seemed to come just to see what was happening in the neighborhood.

There were stories, laughter, gossip, questions, complaints, and the occasional unexpected adventure. You never quite knew what the next person walking through the door would bring.

It really did feel like Sesame Street.

Everyone had a personality. Everyone had a story. And somehow, we were all part of the same little neighborhood.

In a world where so much has become automated and impersonal, our little post office was something different. It was a place where people were recognized, where a familiar face could brighten an ordinary day, and where even the smallest interactions could mean something.

Running that post office by myself meant I wore a lot of hats.

Some days were exhausting. Some days were downright comical. But there was something special about being the person behind that counter, watching the daily rhythm of island life unfold.

I wasn't just handing out packages and selling stamps. I was getting a front-row seat to a community.

And what a cast of characters it was!

I wish I could bottle up some of those moments. The funny conversations, the unexpected visitors, the kindness, and all the little things that made an ordinary workday anything but ordinary.

When I look back on my time as postmistress, those are the things I want to remember.

Not the paperwork. Not the endless packages. Not the responsibilities of running a post office alone.

The people.

My neighbors.

My little Sesame Street.

Thank you, Little Deer Isle, for letting me be part of your neighborhood.

With love, Leslie

—Leslie Anne Cote-Hale was the postmistress on Little Deer Isle from 2024 to 2026.

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