My mailbox is sizzling

This is my mailbox. It might not look like much, but it’s on a hot streak. I knew it was a lucky mailbox seven months ago when the very first piece of mail I received in it was an unexpected cheque for all those years of unpaid child support.

Here are some of the things I’ve been finding in it lately: my income tax refund, lots of art cards from artists around the world, a CD and a book!

Yesterday I received an unexpected package from Susan Musgrave, the famous poet. It was an autographed copy of Jackrabbit Parole, written by her husband Stephen Reid.

Stephen Reid was a member of the Stopwatch Gang, along with Paddy Mitchell and Lionel Wright. They were Canada’s favourite bank robbers, well known for their non-violent tactics, their charisma and intelligence, and their uncanny ability to escape from prisons.

But eventually they all pushed their luck and paid the price. Paddy died in prison in January. Stephen is serving an 18-year sentence for bank robbery in British Columbia. Lionel, last I heard, is working for Corrections Canada.

I first read Jackrabbit Parole many years ago. Stephen’s a superb storyteller; I hope he writes more books. I love Paddy’s book, but Stephen’s is more polished and professional. I lent my original copy to my son’s friend, after extracting a solemn promise from him that he’d return it, and of course I never saw it again. But I don’t care anymore because this is an autographed copy, which is infinitely better.

Now if I can just get Greg Weston to sign my copy of The Stopwatch Gang, I’ll have the complete autographed set. (I’ll still envy Susan Musgrave though, as she is one of only three people on the planet with a copy of The Stopwatch Gang autographed by Mitchell, Reid and Wright.)

I also recently received a package in my mailbox from David Britten: it was an autographed copy of his new CD, which features The Ballad of Paddy Mitchell. (You can listen to the song on his website, www.davidbritten.com .)

It used to be that my best mail was from Paddy. Now, months after his death, some of my best mail is about Paddy.

There’s other good stuff in the mailbox too, totally unrelated to Paddy, like the steady stream of artist trading cards. And the cheques – more like a trickle than a stream, but definitely better than I’ve gotten from other mailboxes in my past. I really love this mailbox.

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