I can’t answer if it will fit in with what you are doing, or hope to do, but if I were kicking around in that frame work, I might try something like Mittyesque fantasy sequences to try to show his boring life after the fact, but it would be a fine line between boring and a daydreamer.
For quick example:
It’s a bright sunny typical day as THE MAILMAN delivers mail.
He comes to The House! - DUNT! DUNT! DUNTTTT! -
It has thunderclouds and lightening over it!
The Mailman’s eyes narrow. -THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY THEME - plays.
In the yard of the house a dog dish with “Killer” written on it. –THUNDER!-
The Mailman pulls a shotgun from his mailbag.
He -SHICK SHUCK- pumps it.
Mailman: “Special Delivery!”
He runs towards the house, dives over a fence.
In the yard, Killer, a huge Great Dane!
It breathes fire, and leaps into the air on the wings of a bat!
The Mailman hits the ground in a combat roll and comes up on his feet!
A MAN calls out shattering the fantasy,
MAN: “Hey Smellmen, the new Victoria Secret catalog come out yet? I'd like to uhh… have a look.”
The Mailman exhales, shoulders slump, head bowed: “Yeah, me too Ed, me too.”
The Mailman closes a mailbox.
Pan down to reveal Killer, a feisty Chihuahua.
It yaps at him.
The Mailman hurries along.
The Man calls out amused: “Look out Smellmen, he knows where you live!”
You might be able to do the same kind of sequences with other common characters, like The Fantasy Woman, The Bully, The Bumbling Cop.
Then in the mix is the Ugly Duckling Waitress that likes the Mailman, but he never notices her. Then there comes the New People in town, like the typical Mobsters hiding out, and the Mailman witnesses something suspicious they are up to. He employs his fantasy like bravado and saves the day, the Waitress takes off her glasses and is suddenly hot, blah blah blah, and the rest is cliché history.
Just a thought.
-Thanks-
EDIT: Sorry, I now see you didn't want specific ideas. Please disregard- Thanks