Behind the Business: Sandy Thweatt

Sandy Thweatt may know more — and more about — Lakewood residents than anyone else in the city.

She knows where residents work. She’s memorized their schedules. And she can be handed a stack of magazines and tell you who they belong to.

, 56, switched careers 17 years ago to become a mail carrier for the .

She remembers the details about her customers, she said, not because she’s nosy, but because she’s made lots of friends.

Thweatt has delivered mail to just about every address in the city.

Her customers, most of them are her friends, call her by her last name, pronounced “tweet” — “like the bird.”

“The most rewarding part of this job is getting to know the people,” Thweatt said. “I talk to everyone, whether they want to be talked to or not.”

“If I can relate to someone, that’s cool.”

In 17 years, Thweatt has been unable to deliver the mail only twice — both times because of the weather.

"You know the saying ‘through rain, shine, snow or sleet?’” she asked. “That’s not always true.”

A few years back, Thweatt moved to North Ridgeville (where she lives with her partner, Janet Underwood). Before that she had lived in Lakewood since 1974.

We thought we take a few minutes to get to know Thweatt — since she knows so much about us. Our take on the Proust Questionnaire, crafted by French writer Marcel Proust, seems like a perfect fit.

When do you plan to retire? I am going to go as long as I can last. I really enjoy this job — I really do. If I could go forever, I would. I don’t know if I could work inside.

What’s your favorite place to eat in Lakewood: .

Your chief characteristic: Good gift to gab. I can pretty much hang with anyone and fit in — as long as they’re not too uppity. What you see is what you get.

Favorite characteristic in friends: Honesty. It’s all about honesty for me. If you’re not going to be honest with me, don’t bother. If you’re honest, all of your other faults can be worked out.

Your main fault: Perfection and control. I want to control everything. I want to control everything everyday. And in mail carrying, that just doesn’t happen. I like routine.

Your idea of happiness: Being content with myself and at peace. That’s happiness to me.

Your idea of misery: Losing my contact with my higher power.

If not yourself, who would you be: I’d be someone in a position to help others with their struggles.

Favorite heroes in real life: My sisters, Beverly and Joyce.

What I hate the most: Fake people.

The natural talent I’d like to be gifted with: Musical talent. I’d love to be a musician.

For what fault have you the most toleration: Somebody being wrong, because I have been wrong so many times.

Your favorite motto: “It’s only money, you always make more.” But now that I am older, I can’t make too much more. Money has not always been that big of a deal to me.