Duke postal clerk Boby Laws delivers mail on Duke's East Campus | Les Todd
Duke Postal Clerk Delivers Positive Messages
Employee shares his ideas through new book
Friday, March 7, 2008
Durham, NC -- Bobby Laws lifted a large plastic mail bin and headed into the Academic Advising Center.
“My route has the friendliest people on campus,” said Laws, as he handed envelopes to Francie Sweet, a program coordinator with the Peer Tutoring Program.
Although Laws typically delivers mail on East Campus, he covers other campus routes, too.
“I’ve been in almost every building at Duke,” said Laws, 34, who joined Duke Postal 10 years ago. “One of the coolest things about my job is I get to explore campus and meet a lot of interesting people. It’s never boring.”
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In recent months, Laws’ upbeat attitude has become more known at Duke with his new motivational book, “The Positive Flow: Your life can be so much more!” published by Outskirts Press. The book is available online and at select bookstores, including Duke’s Gothic Bookstore, where it was a bestseller for a week last December.
Laws, also pastor of Pilgrim Baptist of Oxford Ministries, penned the 170-page book because he wanted to achieve his longtime aspiration of writing and encouraging others to pursue their dreams.
“One of my fears in life was that I’d leave this world without maximizing my potential,” he said. “I had wanted to write a book for a while, but I didn't feel as though I was ready until recently. I believe that our passions and creativity are gifts we should all cherish and share.”
Laws’ book offers tips about maintaining a positive outlook such as, “It’s not the obstacles in your life that will stop you from achieving goals; it’ll be your attitude.”
During seven months of writing, Laws received support from co-workers and customers along his Duke Postal route. Stacey Meyers, a Kenan Institute for Ethics staff assistant, proofread his manuscript and offered suggestions about expanding personal anecdotes. And the book cover was illustrated for no charge by Jonathan Slone, a former Duke Postal employee.
“A few weeks later Jon got a call from a publishing company and now he’s working there,” Laws said. “That’s a real-life example of how being positive and doing positive things can help your life flow in the right direction.”
