MILWAUKEE – By now, you’ve likely seen many local media outlets, us included, covering the news that long-time Milwaukee mail carrier Michael “Mailman Mike” Boothe is retiring from the United States Postal Service after a three-decade-long career delivering letters, packages, and good vibes to the city’s Riverwest neighborhood.
What you may not know is how one man came to symbolize the hopeful optimism of a community and a role model that even the kids find cool.
The youngest of 13 children, Boothe didn’t always have the post office in his career sights. After his graduation from Whitefish Bay High School, he pursued military service in the Army. That part of his life ended in 1992, and soon after a car accident forced him to reassess his plans. The post office offered a good health plan, and so in 1993 he dropped his first letter into a Riverwest mailbox.
30 years later, through consistency and perseverance, Boothe has become a pseudo-ambassador for the neighborhood, welcoming new residents and encouraging engagement with those next door. He also hopes his lasting impact in retirement will be the way children look up to him as a role model. “A lot of the children think I’m cool” Boothe says. “So when you’re cool they try to emulate what you do, so it’s very important that I set a proper example. They’re not my biological children, but they’re all my children, that’s the way I was raised, by the community.”
Boothe’s impact on raising his community was recognized by the Milwaukee Common Council on September 19th, complete with an official proclamation and plaque.
“Mike has been an almost daily messenger of positivity, humor and kindness along his route,” said 3rd District Alderman Jonathan Brostoff “Over the years, he’s made people’s days better just by being himself.”
At the Riverwest Farmers’ Market Sunday, a homemade mail dropbox served as the collection site for dozens of letters from community members wishing Boothe well in retirement. Signatures also adorned the box, several of which wished him well on his next journey: a trip to Italy with the owners of Scardinia Specialties on Locust Street.
Much has been made about Mailman Mike the person as local media covered the days that led up to his retirement Saturday. But what about Mailman Mike, the idea? How can a simple postal worker become the shining beacon of positivity that Boothe has become?
I’ve been a member of the Riverwest neighborhood for the past two years, during which time I’ve seen and heard many anecdotes about Mailman Mike’s contribution to the feel of the community. Riverwest has for a long time been a melting pot of people groups, ideas, and backgrounds in the city, a daily conglomeration of people trying to make each others’ days better by being themselves.
In a world that seems full of bad news, Mailman Mike inspired his community to shine through the negativity, treat one another with respect, and never forget to smile.
Perhaps fittingly, it was my neighbors, not Mike himself, who best described what it means to live “Like Mailman Mike”:
- “I think of positivity, making the best out of your situation.”
- “Bringing a smile to someone’s face when they may need that extra smile.”
- “Supporting our children, and supporting our communities.”
Of course, it was Mike who left us all with the biggest smile of the day on Sunday:
“I go to be at work. I need the money. Well, I DID need it, I don’t need it no more! Y’all have a good day [and] enjoy yourselves!”
Same to you, Mailman Mike.
