John Prine's Mailbag

John Prine worked as a mailman when he was getting his start as a musician, often showing up to shows and open mike nights still in uniform with his mailbag slung over his shoulder. When he left the Post Office, Prine was supposed to return the mailbag, but it was so old and raggedy that his boss let him keep it. John carried the old mailbag with him on every tour he did, using it to collect presents for friends and family back home. When the tour was over, Prine would strap on the mailbag and "run his route," delivering the spoils of his travels.   In addition to giving John a chance to catch up with old friends, Prine soon realized that running his route always solved some kind of problem he was having, whether that meant inspiring the lyric he'd been searching for or giving him insight that helped him make an important decision. Prine usually said that it worked by clearing his mind through something akin to honest work, but was known to occasionally refer to the mailbag's "Santy Claus Magic."   The mailbag was last seen by Prine's family sometime before his death and was nowhere to be found when they went looking for it. However, a few tales have popped up on the internet of people finding a worn-out 60s-era mailbag marked "Property of the Maywood, IL Post Office." When found, the bag is always full of mail, most of it addressed to people in the vicinity of the bag's current location. So far two people who have found the bag (one in Baton Rouge, the other in Portland) have taken it upon themselves to deliver the mail in the bag ot its intended recipients. Both report that the process led to breakthroughs that helped them improve their lives.   Mechanics: A character who delivers all the mail in the bag should get something valuable for their trouble. This can be information, insight, allies, or anything else that helps them solve a current problem. The final letter in the bag is always addressed to the person who delivered the rest of the mail and contains instructions about where to leave the bag so the next person can find it.