Can you please help? wayne centrone

I have a routine when I am not traveling. I take our daughter to school and then drive to the Post Office where HBI keeps a post box. I perform this routine a couple of times per week.

On most days, the Post Office is empty, except for the occasional courier who arrives first thing to pick up mail to distribute to the downtown office buildings. The other day, when I entered the post office, I was greeted by “Good morning, how are you?” I was caught a bit off guard. I quickly assessed the situation and noted a young man standing behind a column, sorting through what appeared to be a bunch of letters.

As I approached the HBI post box, I saw the young man sorting through a government agency letter—the pages he had strewn around a counter surface. “Sorry, I know this is going to sound really strange . . . ” I heard him say, “But I have a learning problem, and I can’t read all that well.” Turning to approach him, I realized he was upset. I asked him how I could help. He told me that he was uncertain what the letter (held in his hand) requested from him. He said he was worried he might be in trouble and even be summoned to court.

As it turns out, the letter was a notification from Medicare informing my young friend that he had been enrolled in the Medicare Part B prescription plan. The letter informed him that nothing further was needed on his part but that his new benefit would kick in starting the first of the new year. I explained to him that the letter was good news and was a notification that he had been provided expanded benefits for his healthcare insurance. The relief that suddenly stretched across his face was profound. He told me that he was so worried he was “in trouble” and didn’t know what he was going to do. I assured him there is nothing further needed on his end and that he should save the letter in his records.

As I started to leave the post office, I returned to him and said, “Please remember, we are all in this experience together. Ask for help anytime you need it.”

We are all in this together. Life can feel overwhelming in the best of times. It can be incredibly challenging to remember that we are not alone, and it can be intimidating to reach out to one another and ask for help. When we push aside any perceived differences we may have from one another, we quickly realize we all want the same things: to be seen and known, to be connected.