THE FOREVER STAMP

The price of a first-class postage stamp remained 3 cents for more than the first 20 years of my life.

At that time, when I heard that the cost was being raised to 5 cents, due to my thrifty nature, I rushed to the post office and bought a large quantity of bargain-priced 3 centers. When someone patiently explained to me that now I would have to go get an equal amount of 2 cent stamps because I would have to pay the full 5 cents the same as everyone else, I was really disappointed. This was not business as usual as I understood it, but I learned to adapt.

Now, after more than 50 years, my stamp has arrived! There is a 41 cent stamp out that will be legal until "you-know-what" freezes over. I am finally vindicated in my wacky thinking of so long ago. (The newspaper said that Britain has had a similar one for longer than 20 years.)

I asked the post lady at my local Drug Emporium post office annix (who was showing the newly-arrived stamps to her fellow clerks) to explain it to me 3 times because I was sure that I must have gotten the wrong idea again, but it appears that at last I can hoard "bargain" stamps to my heart's content. She told me that I was her first customer for the stamps (and I bet that she hopes that her next customers will get the concept much faster than I did). But stung once, twice shy.

I can finally be assured that the stamp that I find that has no value recorded on it, is going to be the correct one. I have dozens of stamps that I have no idea what I paid for them. I only know that they aren't the current 39 cent one, and I will soon not remember which they are. It drives me crazy that the stamp prices have been changing so fast that they don't print their value on them anymore. Believe me, I have attached a big note on these new Forever stamps so that I know which ones they are.

The newpaper had an article yesterday saying that the stamps were not selling, although one lady had bought a lot and had immediately pasted them on her large stack of mailers even though the first-class rate doesn't change from 39 cents until May 14. She explained this strange action by saying she thought her customers would be impressed. (I think no one will even recognize the new stamp, but perhaps we should commend her for helping the ever-deserving post office with its ever-existing budget dilemma.)

Well, all I have to add on the subject is, "I got mine! Now I know what I am leaving my kids in my will."