In our relatively young country, it's one of the oldest institutions we have.

The U.S. Postal Service turns 250 today.

The agency is deeply intertwined with this nation's history and has been critical to its growth.

But with annual net losses nearing $10 billion, this time of celebration is also one of concern.

I went to the National Postal Museum in Washington, D.C. to ask how regular Americans see

what many call the post office.

Everything's now on the phone and you're sending text and messages, but like being able to get

a letter in the mail and be like,

yay, I got a letter. It's the best. So I hope that the post office stays.

I think it's critical because there are so many places in America that they're more remote.

And your commercial carriers can't really reach those places.

I don't want everything to be coming to me electronically.

Sometimes you want paper.

You want something tangible.

I guess it's losing money, but I would say it's still worth it because it's always there for you.

Hansi Lo Wong is a correspondent for NPR and covers the U.S. Postal Service. Hansi, let me start with the big

birthday question here. How does the Postal Service fit in the way this country sees itself?

Well, the U.S. Postal Service plays a role in the daily lives of so many people. And it has been the

case going back to 250 years ago before the founding of

this country when the Second Continental Congress set up Benjamin Franklin as a first postmaster

general, and you had horseback riders delivering mail through the 13 colonies. And now all the way to

today, the U.S. Postal Service saw it on foot

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