A Father’s Note to His “Timeless” Daughter, Ladies, Start Your Lawnmower Engines! and When People Sent Their Children Through the Mail

I'm always upgrading my car because I need to because I want to today custom rims for my ride tomorrow might be a new driver side seat cushion and eBay motors.com always has what I need. They got over 122 million carports all at the right price that's perfect for me because I'm a car guy around killing the morning almost on okay I'm a car fanatic eBay motors. Let's ride all this is will you be Mrs. over American stories today we hear from Jeff Katz is a radio host in Richmond, Virginia is also a columnist for the Boston Herald, and here he shares his deeply personal story about his teenage daughter Julia, who has what doctors call global developmental delays and disabilities and all that means is that she functions physically and mentally. The level of a toddler.

Here's Jeff reading a note that he wrote to his daughter. Dear Julie, I'm writing you this note on March 7, 2018. Today's the day that you turned 15 years old. It's an interesting day for me and for mom but it's another day for you not like other kids, my sweet. You never made a big deal of your birthday never asked us for any type of the special gift for your birthday for Hanukkah for Christmas.

Treating each and every day in the same way. Mom will wake you up and you have a smile on your face when you see you play some of your music smile. You may laugh giggle or squeal, but there will not be anyone you won't complain about having to go to school, you will be happy to hear that it is a snow day. You won't celebrate the fact that today is 15 years since you were born. Most 15-year-old girls would be thinking about clothing, college, or a car by 15 many dads have already we had to warn their daughters about some dopey boy but today you watch your favorite episode of Jack's big music show.

Enjoy your cereal and be on the lookout for cookies wherever you could find mom and I know that you will be with us as long as we are alive, but we worry about what happens after work on.

You have two wonderful brothers and I pray every day that we have raised them well enough to know that they will need to look after you. Someday you may be our middle child, but you always been the baby, even as you get older. According to the calendar as mom told me yesterday. You are timeless you will always be my pipsqueak, despite the fact that the years are flying by malware, not exploring potential careers or making plans for your wedding were still hoping that will be able to help you move from diapers to the potty. Someday you live today the same way you did when you were about 18 months old. You don't speak you only recognize a few words but oh the words that you know kisses and cookies.

No matter how filled up you are, there's always room for a cookie or two. You don't understand. When I asked you how your day was to become laserbeam focus.

When you hear the crinkle of the wrapper on a package of something sweet matter how sweet that candy it still eclipsed by your genuinely sweet smile for so many people live their lives asking for things demanding things, accumulating things most people never take the time to stop and savor a piece of cake or breathe deeply to appreciate a gentle breeze like you do. I hear people of this world use horrible insulting language to describe kids like you and I want to shake yellow some mock disabled kiddos like you. I feel like crying. You don't understand the words but I do sometimes I really wish I did not.

We never thought you would crawl let alone walk but you showed us your situation and challenges and disabilities have caused me to question my belief in God.

On some days and have served to strengthen it on others. You don't speak but somehow you are able to break my days in ways that I never imagined without a single solitary word. You've made me a better man touched countless people hearing you cry ties my stomach in knots but your giggle was truly the happiest sound that I have ever I know you'll never read this nor would you understand this if I were to read it to you so let me just say kisses and cookies to goals. I tell you today. What I have told you one every March 7, 2003.

Daddy love you more than you ever know and thank you for that reading Jeff, you may be a better man. He wrote your giggle is the happiest sound I've ever heard on Julia's unexpectedly learning how to walk. Jeff told the Boston Herald.

The quote it was one of the proudest days of my life.

One of the happiest days of my life but I also have to tell you it's a terrifying situation because Julie is like a toddler. He has no real understanding of oh, the stove is hot or I could fall hear her trip there were thrilled that she's trying to explore in her own little bit and were terrified at the same time and this is true for all of us parents, but even more so for Jeff and his bride. Jeffrey said that it's tough to realize that he'll never get to embarrass Julia by dancing with her at her wedding but quote she's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Last but not least, he said these words quote she's never spoken a word she's never said a word to anybody, but she's touched more people in her 15 years on this earth than I ever have.

Her joy is pure. To me she's like the face of God is the essence of good and she shares her joy with everybody. Jeff Katz's story is daughter Julius here on our American story view of the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, or asking you to become a part of the our American stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country. Please make a donation monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters to allow American stories.com now go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming out American stories.com this is Tori.

Johnny went to 10 MG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT we recorded at iHeartRadio type event windows hang down near attack ODT were not apparent 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still such an exciting event. Windows hang out I had when I took minor attack ODT and I was present amazing time of our conversation with some of our closest friends & was brought to you by near attack ODT my magic pants 75 mg life with migraine attacks can mean missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully near attack ODT were magic pants 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sound lively events like windows, hang out down have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this@uhcmedicarehealthplans.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business days equal and confident business owners to help you best. State Farm is in your corner and on my neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we continue with our Americans stories Lone Star mower racing Association. That's LSM RA for you friends started in 1998 with the sport of lawn mower racing goes back to 1973 when Irishman named Jim Gavin and a few of his mates were fed up with the hefty price tag came with most motorsports wanted to create a sport that was cheap and accessible to everyone. As the plates float they looked out the window and there was the groundsman mowing the grass.

It was then that they realized a everyone has a lawnmower.

That's when I decided to have a race mower showed up. The very first sentence here is Julie Tillman with her story about the greatest show on earth. Well, pretty much unique unicorn. I don't know anybody in my family and then tell Anwar a theme Antonio, Texas on the southwest side of town worked each worked two full-time jobs that they were hardly at home because they were only working trying to provide for the time we were poor kind of playwright you know you are poor when you're a kid. He only figured it out. When he got older and you're like oh yeah, the other thing that I didn't let any of that really bother me very much even after high school I did often to college. Unfortunately, I found myself in the same to this and my parents were and I worked two jobs just to take care of myself and pay for for my apartment and why led food and all that stuff. I think late and wait for about an hour at the time working for the week so eight years to graduate but I did my bachelors in accounting and after that going to Europe with my friend I decided to get and we wait go kayaking we will go fishing off the peers and started cycling basically life because he and I both had full-time job.

That was very demanding and very stressful downgrade great pleasure in doing the them activities together and it also painted upon between us we are doing that thing and then I lost with children and he and I raise kids are grown there like 12 and 14 now he and I are watching you to and lawnmower racing men come up on that on the screen and I like wow Rob, I think I like the way I lawnmower in my head. Then in the cars he didn't do sport built cars that was so I don't know what I unlock yeah you know, using other skill that you needed to build something so he wanted to make sure that I both knew what we were getting into. So we left lawnmower racing and came across LSM RA and found they were racing a tripod camp sailor over in the right of Fort Worth and track and it was just like I imagine everyone going fast around the track on a lawnmower.

Some of the faster ones look like go-cart, so he basically had to do you look at the role for the US lawnmower racing nation. What you need to do to build lawnmower racing so we bought her property about 12 years ago and we bought her property. We had to buy a riding lawnmower that was too much to do.

You know, place lawnmower, then retired.

I fitting in our graveyard and stuff out back decided to resurrect it a fun fact about this lawnmower that for me anyways. We first bought her property my head in the little trailer attachments the back of the writing lawnmower and my kids are like wine and three at the time, trailer with life will hayride around her property kid and that's what we did entertain them in the evening, so I just find that it that we are now using this lawnmower you now go fast around a track so one of the questions that I know very first question is about the blame like everyone's really worried about the lawnmower blades and yes I'm here to reassure everybody that the blade of the lawnmower are the first thing that are that it is removed like lawnmower blades reinforce the frame Lord Kathy had any US during any breaking in ON you lawnmower tires right. He had the darndest time trying to put the tires on the wheel axle by a 708 creditor engine that gives like 22 hp like 35 mph slow by when you're not wearing a seatbelt. It is still a little scary so get lots of fun doing that. Like you said when he was a kid. He that's what he did and now I get he gets these use that skill set to build his wife a lawnmower racing, trailer, several pattern contract so he had to go buy some ramps and we pushed the lawnmower up the ramp into the trailer, hoping that it wouldn't follow the rider the laughed are on top of that, that didn't happen.

Now that I've been racing for a while and my has been you decide to get on and on the action and he thought himself and affect the lawnmower and I actually have another lawnmower and affect that I'm still learning how to drive so I'm really comfortable driving my GPT that goes about 35 miles an hour around the track that I haven't become hundred percent comfortable in affect that 5 to 50 miles an hour definitely dangerous, but that's my next goal is to be hundred percent comfortable driving that the first time I ever raced straight. My head was taking pictures of me ideally I can see the fear in your eyes and on my yeah it was there so I you know I'm thinking to myself about to go out on the track. Now I have to play with that word that your mouth where your mouth is like I am. I am I'm getting to you this basically racing classes. They go for my date for the young kid at the highest classes are affect XP and basically anything into it key at end of that just means you're racing an engine with twin cylinder to go faster than a single cylinder engine fell lawnmower racing is a coed sport right, it doesn't matter here, boy or girl and basically the person who when a person who brings that the bathroom lawnmower and the best writing skills that in the day you have the best writing skills but if you haven't worked on your lawnmower breaks you know, to relax, then and then you're out of town and I see that happen. A lot of times people die for hours and then the lawnmowers are working the night with disheartening but basically the person with the best equipment and the best writing skills land because overall racing on the same track and we all should be following the same same rules listen to Julie Timmerman tell her story about the greatest show on turf courses lawnmower racing when we come back more of her story and her husband's and millions of American hobbies to do all kinds of fun and silly things with their time here on our American stores.

You guys, this is Tori, and Jenny with 90210 MG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT.

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It's true. I had one night and I took minor tech ODT and I was present and had an amazing time.

Here's a little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends. This episode was brought to you by near tech ODT were magic pant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can be missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully no tech ODT were magic pant 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like Wingo tango don't have to be next to millions will make Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7. If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment. Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health and's.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business days piping hot and cool and confident. The small business owners to help you best. State Farm is in your corner and on like a good neighbor.

There call your local State Farm agent for quote today we continue here with our Americans worries and lawnmower racer Julie Timmerman and her husband, who is the butts is boss crew engineer and everything else in between.

Continue with this family story about a family hub.

There's drew the most part I encouraging you to take tips from each other. The senior senior guys are young and how it should be done. I have on occasion been able to keep out the gentleman I raced with an afterword.

Talk about cutting the wires on my engine or letting my gas out. You know, stuff like that easy on me, girl, which I don't know if I lie or don't mind, I'll take it you know we all have to pick out a three digit code on our lawnmower and some people race for Jesus.

They race for cancer. They raise for family name on my personal line I have a theme. We live just chose the code 40 5T.

That meant a lot to me for mean mean double meaning. I try double meaning. But the first meeting is for our 43rd president and the second meeting. Basically basically about my age and T. The first initial and last name you have the inside track and have the outside track in my first lawnmower race. I rode the outside track the whole way through.

And at the time there was this wonderful lady Jennifer and she just might help.

There is Jennifer. There is fighting slap me like three times that more brave you know additional courage by everybody with very complementary and encouraging you after I did the race and every time I went out there faster and faster and now my life's mission is to never get my life mission I really want away you now want to play first, second, third by the end of the day if I can get lab. I am doing so.

What are the things that I always wondered is does it hurt when I feed these guys fall over. I kept wondering in that and finally you know my question is there a couple months and I was going to fast. I got caught on the high side and I blew off my lawnmower and ran over my play back I find a little ego in slow-motion kind of flying through the air and Haddonfield.

The lawnmower kind of going over your racing shoes that they were raising issues. So what I go there and in a motorcycle racing jacket that had the padding on the elbows and shoulders in the back and get her long blue jean that there any genes get if you and the upper classes. If you were fire resistant hand for some time there engine that catch on fire and you wear a neck brace and helmets. One of the things that I find helpful for me as a resource to mentally prepare for this race so that I am competitive they can go out there like you know happy-go-lucky right happy-go-lucky and not to win the race site contains my thought processes a little bit and Curtis O'Brien are archive the Capulet racing station you now just get angry. You notice pretend like you your you know I can really say what he said but at the end of the day they thought just ingesting wrong yourself up to get angry. You pretend like your driving like a bat out of hell to get get out of the place you don't want to be great to their yam. That's what I'm thinking about. I'm angry.

I needed you know drive superfast and do all the things I told you earlier that you shouldn't deal right you think about the safety of others. Time to make yourself a little bit angry so that it's a different part of your brain. Number one injury and lawnmower is a broken collarbone. So I will fast but at the end of the day. One of the things that are track Stewart owing is we all have jobs to go home to. On Monday I have jobs and we have families so you're out there. They and if he can't have someone safely, then not have them. We all try to remember that when were out there when you're trying to wed hard but very fortunate we have not had any racing injuries that he couldn't recuperate from the next day that we've been very fortunate but nothing happened but I don't let that take over me so much. I mean it in there does exist. I mean if you're not afraid when you're out there, at least a little bit.

Then there may be something wrong there yet to be afraid for your life and afraid for somebody else's life. The reefer trophy race for my name is the time.

Sometimes the event will put up some money, but at the end of the dates for fun to hang out with your friends, your family, I keep telling my husband that I my dream that one day that were were retired revoking the entire and all you do is drive around United States racing at the different event there.

The events in Alabama and Georgia in Missouri and Illinois everywhere and I would love love you race everybody normally just race with your same group of people who have monetary income out of town so it's great to race other guys learn the kind of place you little bit, you know, especially if there faster.

You can want to keep up yourself even more.

Now I have to warn you if you you worry when leads to 22 leads to 44 leads to eight is very addicting because you have so much fun driving them to dry. The more lawnmower set up right out there is my word of caution though cell that mom worry about really giving you adventure for the weekend while you're hanging out with your friends and your family and allowing you that a great job as always but Greg storytelling. Special thanks to Julie Timmons sharing her story.

Her passion for family racing will my life's mission never wept. Want to win the second and third but I don't want to get one got a love that we raise for children.

She said it's for fun and to hang out with friends and family. Professionalization of sport and actually ruin home phone lawnmower racing brings to pursue the sport and so many other hobbies versus great country Julie Timmons story. Her husband and her family on L you guys, this is Tori, and Jenny with 90210 MG podcasts we have such a special episode brought to you by near attack ODT. We recorded it at iHeartRadio's tentpole event windows hang down. Did you know that near attack ODT were magic pant 75 mg can help migraine sufferers still attend such an exciting event.

Windows hang out. It's true. I had one night and I took minor attack ODT and I was present and had an amazing time. Here's a little glimpse of our conversation with some of our closest friends. This episode was brought to you by near attack ODT were magic pant 75 mg life with migraine attacks can be missing out on big moments with friends and family, but thankfully no attack ODT were magic pant 75 mg is the only medication that is proven to treat a migraine attack and prevent episodic migraines and adults sell lively events like Windows hang out don't have to be next Medicare coverage decisions for next year and United healthcare can help you feel confident about your choices for those eligible Medicare annual enrollment runs from October 15 through December 7.

If you're working past age 65. You might be able to delay Medicare enrollment.

Depending on your employer coverage. It can seem confusing, but it doesn't have to be this UHC Medicare health.com to learn more United healthcare helping people live healthier lives. I know everything there is to know about running a coffee shop for small business insurance. I need my State Farm agent make sure my business days piping hot and cool and confident their small business owners to help you best.

State Farm is in your corner and on like a good neighbor. There call your local State Farm agent for quote today and we returned to our American stories next another story for more Christopher Warren mentioning sure about how some bizarre rules came to be, why you can't send your child use Christopher our postal history is very diverse in this country.

It really touches on every aspect of American history. There is not an event. A person in American history that hasn't been affected really by mail delivery over the years. Now during the 19th century through the 19th century deliveries of packages was not part of the post departments purpose. Really they would only deliver things that were 4 pounds or less. So there is no real package delivery from the United States government. If you wanted to mail packages anywhere you had to use private carriers, companies whose rates are constantly in flux. There is no regulation on how much sending a package from one location to another. How much the cost is relatively expensive, so maybe it was used by businesses setting things back and forth other nations, especially in Western Europe had instituted government-funded package delivery unit is kind of late to the game. In this regard, but by the 1880s, 1890s, this was becoming a big topic of conversation.

Lots of people wanted this postdelivery to be upgraded to more than 4 pounds. It was controversial in Congress because many of the senators in Congress were big investors in these private carrier companies laden with competition from the government because the government regulate the rates just race so it was a contentious battle throughout the 1890s they were used to getting their mail delivered to them and they began advocating complaining that they should also have more regulated cheaper ability to send larger packages through the mail.

Eventually, the private companies who deliver these packages.

They lost 10 of their advocates in Congress. So in 1913 parcel postdelivery was begun by the Postal Service.

Originally it was like a set up to 4 pounds want to sparkle Postal Service delivery was instituted.

Then mail things up to 11 pounds. This was hugely successful in the first six months alone of this parcel postdelivery over 300 million parcels were delivered in six months. 300 million ton because it was so successful the postal department increased the size of packages the way to packages delivered from 11 pounds to 20 pounds of eventually went to 50 pounds. So with this new delivery system. The regulations were kind of they were all spelled out the postal department had not anticipated some of the issues of types of things people wanted to send through the mail, you name it.

People try to mail it, including their children. This was not a endemic problem but did occur on a few specific instances. Probably the most well-known instance of the child being mailed occurred in February 19, 1914, the little girl's name was May Pierce Dorf, who was almost 6 years old the time and she was utterly mailed from her parents home in gradual Idaho to her grandparents house about 73 miles away for just $0.53 worth of of steps which were actually depend on her coat. Her parents didn't want to pay for the more expensive train ticket to send their child her grandparents and so they use the Postal Service. She was the only child that was sent through the post. The first one was a child London boy wouldn't know his name but he was mailed from Batavia, Ohio, and was carried by the rural predelivery carrier name was Vern a little to to the little boys grandparents again, but that was only about a mile away and they knew the post carrier they trust of postal carrier cost of $0.15 and the parents even ensured of the package.

Their son for $50 just in case it happened a couple more times probably be the longest trip ever occurred from a child being mailed was from six-year-old named Edna Neff. She traveled from her mother's home in Pensacola Florida to her father's home in Christiansburg, Virginia, which is a little over 700 miles went by for railway mail train cost $0.15 parcel post stamps, which is much cheaper than a train ticket doing from Florida to Virginia in a course is to be under the 50 pound limit. The first I talked about shoes 47 1/2 pounds was these children were young, they were small 1915 was really the last year that we have any evidence that children were sent through the mail. The postmaster general in 1914 it actually seeing that this was a problem with continuing problem. Some of the local postmasters were riding back to Washington DC for guidance on what they should do with this, but they looked in the regulations and there is nothing in the regulations that prohibited mailing children very quickly.

Postmaster general changed these regulations, saying that no human being.

Therefore sent through the mail but it still occurred a couple more times in 1915 and was either postmasters ignoring the rules because member. They were very far away from Washington DC. The always feel like they had to obey every single rule. Every single time. September 1915.

His last known instance of the child being mailed three-year-old Bob Smith she wanted her parcel post journey gives you trouble regret grandparents home to her mother's home in Jackson, Kentucky, a local newspaper actually recorded this incident and they also recorded that it was being investigated by postal authorities never was. It was against regulations 1914 in the seven night 15 so once those investigations started on this type of activity they really that was the end of senior children mail cheaper than a train ticket pretty sure that because of these investigations, though postmasters from that point forward, thought it was worth the risk. Even if they get a little notoriety or celebrity status. So there's a lot of great pictures out there of children and mail bags children with stamps on them being supposedly sent through the mail but most of those pictures were staged as to Highlight of a little fun with the process of mailing children. I don't have a maybe 10 times total.

We know of, and most the time they knew this this rural mailman trusted him small town rural areas everybody and child to the parents own wasn't as scary as we might think of actually sending your child and just trusting in the Postal Service.

They knew these mail carriers.

They trust these mail carriers still dangerous. Of course we would think about today but is a lot cheaper than getting it right were all forcefully with the mail postdelivery part of everyone's life for forever.

I really we just don't even think about it much more so is the institution of a new service or upgraded service like parcel delivery that we take for granted we don't think anything about Amazon packages coming from the post office, but back then it was brand-new to people. It is interesting to see how they wanted to use the service what they used for was brand-new to them. No guides regulation. There's a man in New York City. He bought a roast beef downtown New York City email it to his wife. It arrived in the evening post and she cooked it by the time you got home from work the roast beef dinner was ready. One of the more interesting items of the sent through the mail was an entire bank brick by brick, so in Vernal Utah the bank of Vernal Utah was wanting to build a new bank. The closest place that you get bricks for the bank was about hundred 27 miles away in Selleck city, though it would cost about four times the amount to have those bricks transported via railroad and the horse and carriage to the Cyprus construction site they needed 40 tons of bricks so they sent them in 50 pound packets. So, day after day, all these 50 pound packets of bricks would show up at the Salt Lake City post office and they would have to deliver those to Vernal, Utah, and was successful and the Vernal Bank is still there today. Again, the postmaster general saw this was a problem.

The purpose of the postal department was not to sin. Massive construction supplies so he came out with regulation saying you had a maximum of 200 pounds could be set per day from any one individual to that stop this kind of activity but it was a great workaround for a very intelligent person or construction person instead of paying four times the amount syndicate by freight to send it by 50 pounds packets at the time it got there, they constructed the right.

It's interesting to see right when the service was instituted worshiping things that today we would maybe even as the ship metal egg crates farmers could send eggs know a dozen eggs to purchasers through the mail as well today and you know people get their groceries the mail, but it's always got a touch and go with the eggs but even back then they were trying something, but her boxes see Dixon sticks of butter to people who were purchasing them. Keep it cool and keep it protected through the mail as well.

B's Queen bees and beehives were being sent to the mail right from day one. Special boxes were built so they couldn't escape what you keep food inside so they still live. There's all kinds of items that were being sent right from the get-go that we would think would be maybe a little odd today or just maybe take for granted. Why would you send your child to with the somebody did people use the service. Like I said 300 million for six months. Anything and everything they were trying to ship. And special thanks to Madison for the production of the piece.

And special thanks to Christopher Warren, Smithsonian National postal when you're inducing Smithsonian franchises all around the city straight out of the air and space Museum. Another rule of law story.

This would not as serious as civil asset forfeiture or eminent domain, or as to property and intellectual property rights, but I think we can all agree is probably good idea legally story of America's post office some stories about some fun ones and some