Mailman Il Soo Choi retired from the U.S. Postal Service after nearly 20 years and left his 643 deliverees on the Upper East Side of Manhattan with a final letter he wrote himself about his experiences.
Choi, 62, came to the U.S. in 1982 from South Korea with his wife Linda Kim, who worked in nail salons in the New York City area, The Wall Street Journal reported.
In the letter, Choi described his experiences in the U.S. and as a mail carrier with great affection. “It is in this country that I’ve gained countless blessings over the years,” Choi wrote, the WSJ reported. “I’ve gained a love, respect and appreciation for humanity.”
“I’ve encountered a billionaire, a TV anchor, a foreign diplomat, countless doctors and professors,” Choi continued. “I’ve interacted with both the wealthy and the poor working in Manhattan.”
Choi described a homeless woman who sat at a Vietnamese restaurant on his route as “both a friend and mentor,” the WSJ reported.
“I believe that we can learn a great deal about ourselves in life when we open up to the world around us in this land, in this city. I’ve learned and gained so much by encountering each of you,” Choi finished.
Many along Choi’s mail route said they would miss him and described him as a good mailman who was always happy.
“I almost cried when I found out he was leaving,” Ida Pedras told the WSJ from the doorway of her five-story tenement walkup.
Choi commuted from Rockland County to the Upper East Side for 11 years of his postal career, CBS New York reported.
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