Philatelic Musings

I confess I have been to the philatelic window at the Big Post Office more than once.

There is something about the place: how the stamps are displayed inside the glass counter, how the post man pulls out sheets of new stamps for viewing. I've thought more than once about starting a stamp collection. It would be a good excuse to get one of those large magnifying glasses for one thing. Yes, for looking at stamps, but also for grossly exaggerating one side of my face. (Think performance art. Think Picasso.)

But I know I'm not organized enough. I would do better with the shoe box method of collecting which my mother followed. Tear an interesting stamp which happens your way from the corner of an envelop and toss it in a box. It's rare that I get a good stamp through the mail these days though. Mostly, I get bills. And they are all posted by machine. These days, few people select a stamp for its artistry and attach it to an envelop or card as a a tiny intimate gift.

They are small worlds, these stamps. Intricate. Elaborate.