Postal worker DeNeita Watson is most likely to be spotted on the road — her daily 9-mile walking route through Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, to be exact. After growing up with a single mother in South Carolina and having not one, but two children straight out of high school, she moved to New York over ten years ago to take advantage of her familial support system in the city and leave behind memories of a destructive relationship. In this conversation, DeNeita talks to us about early motherhood, the physical ramifications of her job, and how her fashion sense has evolved over the years.
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on her morning routine
I get out of bed around 6 am, get myself ready, and then have to wake up my kids. I have three of them — the older two are 14 and 16, so they basically get ready by themselves, but my youngest is 3. I get him out of bed at 7 am, out the door by 7:45 am, drop him off at preschool, and then get to work by 8.30 am. Every morning I sit down to eat breakfast at Rosalia’s Cafe on Nostrand Ave. I like to have a moment to myself before work to enjoy that. It’s the only place I really go these days — I’ve become much more of a homebody.
on her upbringing in the South and early motherhood
I was born in New York, but my mom moved down to South Carolina with me when I was very young. I’m still not quite sure why, even though I ask her all the time — maybe she just wanted to get away. It was always just me, her and my brother. He’s 10 years younger, which meant I was basically an only child for a long time. I have no desire to go there again, even though my mom is still there. She was very strict to me when I was young and we didn’t have the typical mother-daughter bond. But that’s how she grew up, so I can’t blame her. Once I had my own children, though, I tried to break that cycle. I forgave her because I didn’t want to take away a potential relationship with her grandchildren, but I also told her that she’d have to prove that to them that she’ll be a great grandmother. And she is.
I was only 19 and wanted to become an OBGYN when I got pregnant with my first son — I had graduated from the STEM program in high school and even majored in biology for a semester at college in Charleston. I really wanted to go into medical therapy. It's still in the back of my head. Having children that young definitely made me grow up a lot faster. But the good thing is that traveling and all the other fun stuff still going to be there after my children get older. Then I'll have time to actually go because I've been dedicating my life to raising them.
““I don’t regret my children, but I do regret not doing what I wanted to do in life. That’s why I try to push them to focus and achieve their goals.””
on moving to New York to raise her kids
New York is where my support system is. Every summer, I would come back up here to visit our family. My mom’s relatives as well as my dad and his family all still live here. I like New York much more, the pace of life just suits me better. So when I needed more help with my kids, I decided to move back here and stay with my mom’s sister. She is incredible. Even with the two children, she never told me to move out or pay her anything. We stayed with her for almost nine years in a house that was always full of people — she had her own kids and then my other cousins would come around and she raised other people's children, too. So I would never put the burden of watching mine on her full-time by partying or staying out overnight, even though I did some of that because I was still young when I moved. But I would always come back.
It was truly a blessing and I will always be grateful. Sometimes it got too crowded, though. When that happened and I still had a car, I would just sit in there for a few hours before entering the house to get some peace and quiet. So I was really happy to finally qualify for the housing lottery three years ago when my youngest was born and move into my own space. Luckily, it’s super close to my aunt and the rest of the family, so they still help out a lot.
on her first jobs in New York city
I had worked all kinds of little gigs in South Carolina: at Walmart, Toys’R’Us, the gas station, and TGI Fridays. I had a habit of not keeping jobs if I didn’t like them after a certain period of time. When I came up here, one of my first jobs was at JFK airport as a dispatcher for wheelchairs. I did that for two years, but it was very physically demanding because you had to push the passengers and their luggage. It wasn’t a bad job and paid the bills, but at a certain point my body couldn’t do it anymore. That’s when my friend told me about the post office hiring. We both applied and got in, but she quit right away because she has sickle cell anaemia and it took too much of a toll on her body. This year is my tenth year and I’m currently working on becoming a supervisor. The physical element is much lighter and it would be great for my back problems to not be outside walking as much anymore.
““When I moved up here, it took me a while to be in a relationship with anybody. I wanted to get to know myself a little bit more — I went through a lot with my two older kids’ father. Mentally, physically, emotionally. You don’t want to put yourself in another situation like that. And you’re already broken, so you don’t want to put that hurt on someone else before fully having healed.””
On finding friendship at work
Almost the entire workday, I’m on a group phone call with my colleagues. We’re on the phone with each other from the time we leave the station until we get back. It’s a great way to keep each other busy. We just talk about life. It’s amazing to find people that you feel like actually sharing specific things with through work, like when you’re not having a good day or going through hardships, for example. We’re very close, but I think we’re the only team that does it. It’s three guys and myself. I treasure their friendship a great deal.
I also take to the older females in the station. The younger ones are harder — I can't really get with the yoga generation. And I don't like people with a nasty attitude. If I see you coming in with a bad attitude, I won’t gravitate towards you. When I first got there, everyone said “Oh, you don't like anybody.” I do, but I just had to feel them all out and take my time. There was always something that came up with people that I chose not to talk to. My gut feeling was right, and my colleagues have learned to trust it.
on her and her boyfriend’s secret to a successful relationship
We don’t live together. I don't want to. I love my own space. I went through a lot with my older children’s father when I was young, so I apply those lessons now. He would always have a family member or his friends living with us — I’m not willing to do that again. If I want my partner to come over, he comes over over. Our son spends extended periods of time with him, too, which gives me my mental and physical space. I also want my other children to have their home and peace of mind without bringing in someone else. I think people often underestimate that.
““My boyfriend is really into jewelry. He bought me a ring even though we’re not engaged to scare off anybody that hits on me at work. It happens a lot — I’m not a disrespectful person, so I still give people conversation. But there’s a line.””
on her beauty routine and personal style
My hair is out of control right now. I went fully natural when I was pregnant with my youngest, so that's why I keep it in braids the majority of the time for maintenance. You’ll usually see me with a hat and my ponytail when I don’t feel like doing it. I get up in the morning after blow drying it out and then I'll just put some gel on and put the ponytail to the back. I really like this Green Apple & Aloe one by Taliah Waajid or Kaleidoscope’s SoulFed Peach Cobbler Gel Styler. As far as skincare is concerned, I use a MoonXCosmetics oil cleanser and turmeric soap in the morning and evening for my dark spots, along with Dickinson’s witch hazel and vitamin c lotion.
I love fashion. I actually got my wholesale license a while ago because I opened an online clothing boutique called CashLuxe during the pandemic. I still have a whole bunch of inventory, but I just don't have the time anymore now that I’m back at work. I still love doing research into different outfits and high-quality labels, though. As far as my personal style is concerned, I’ve become more of a pants and shirt person with the kids — practicality is key above all now. When I was going out in my early New York days, I would dress up a little more, but never to the extent of some others. Mostly because I didn’t feel comfortable wearing tight or low-cut dresses around my children. I used to be really into accessories and still have a container full of earrings and other jewelry, but hardly wear any of it these days. Again, for practical reasons.
deneita’s favorite spots in nyc
Cafe: Rosalia’s
images by clémence polès, interview by claire brodka