INDIANAPOLIS -- A postal worker's will to live and drive to work remain intact two and a half months after he was shot in the face while on the job.

Bob Norman, 54, of Franklin, returned to work Tuesday with a scar beneath an eye, but with a smile on his face and a newfound appreciation for his life, 6News' Julie Pursley reported.

Norman was shot on July 2 outside a Chase Bank branch in Wanamaker after he encountered a suspected bank robber.

"I did what I had to do, and I'm glad I'm still here," Norman said. "The people on my route, I try to watch out for them. That's what I do. I'm happy to get back to work."

Norman has spent several weeks healing at home. He's now on light duty and is preparing to resume his old route and see familiar faces in three weeks.

"I understand they've been asking about me, every day just about," Norman said. "I look forward to seeing them."

Norman said he considers himself lucky that he can still see after surgery to rebuild part of his right eye socket and shattered cheekbone.

"The Lord kept me here for a reason, and I'm finding out I've touched a lot of people over this," Norman said. "I praise the Lord every day."

Norman said he will undergo another surgery on his face in about six months, but he isn't in pain.

The man accused in the bank robbery and shooting, Brook Abebe, is jailed on federal charges.