Travel Log of a wandering Envelope

Those of us that work in big business know about inter-office mail. These are envelopes with holes punched in them to keep people from using them as regular postal mail. These envelopes are typically manila colored oversized with an area on the for listing where the envelope is to be sent and from who mailed it.

The idea behind inter office mail is that by collecting mail and documents moving from one company site to another, a company can salve money and get better service. By taking all inter office mail and sending it in 1 package, the ship rate or mailing costs are substantially reduced. What happens is that the mail room at each site, collects the mail bound for the other sites, puts it in a Fed EX or similar overnight package and ships all the brown manila envelopes to the other sites. Once received, the envelopes are organized and delivered based on the to information provided by the sender.

Take a look however at that list of to xx from xx and you may see a travelogue of information. You may be holding an envelope that has traveled the country many times, or one that’s been international! You may also get a glimpse into the inner workings of the company. WHO sends to WHOM can be just as intriguing as what was actually sent.
So next time you use interoffice mail, be sure to pick an envelope that looks a little tired, weary and worn out. It may have a great story to tell before you send it on it’s way.