In this day and age of electronic media, cell phones, computers, and tablets, one can easily forget that before email messaging there was mail correspondence.  To this day there is still something special about getting something in the mail.  Weeding through the loads of junk mail, advertisements, and political fliers, almost everyone I know still gets that warm tingly feeling from a package, card or letter.  Even to this day I still look forward to receiving mail.  My wife and I joke about it being “my mail” day or “her mail” day often.

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People have complained long and often about how much it costs to send a letter.  I always looked at it from a slightly different angle.  For all of my life I have been able to send a letter to anyone else in this country for less than a dollar and others could do the same for me.  Until last year it was 50¢ or less.

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That letter included my time and energy, as well as my thoughts, heart-felt sentiments, my fears or concerns, expressed my anger or joy and excitement.  It included my quirky way of writing and talking, both cursive and printed lettering, graphite from my favorite pencil or ink from my favorite pen, or even a mix of colors when the ink ran out and I had to grab another, or the erasures when I had a change in thought.  It included paper that I took from grandma’s drawer, mom and dad’s notepads, chads from pages torn out of my school notebook, typewriter paper or a “Note from me” page that I received as a result of a charity donation.

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Sometimes I received a card that had a nice pre-written message or it had a blank insert on which a friend or loved one scribbled a poem, saying or message for me.  I remember shouting for joy when receiving a package from my Aunt and Uncle for my birthday.  I still marvel at the large envelopes or packages I receive with something tiny inside it.  I giggle at the small package or envelope stuffed to the point of bulging.  I am amazed that either survived the journey to my doorstep.

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Letters tickle the senses of touch, sight, sound, taste and even smell.  You could hear the voice and see the sender clear as day standing before you as you read the message either silently or out loud.  You could feel their warmth and presence, smell their perfume or cologne, or even taste that dessert or dish that you crave every time you and the sender meet.

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Attached to each letter or package is that all important item that paves and pays the way for it to leave your house and arrive at another location called the postage stamp. 

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Stamps come in all shapes and sizes.  Most of you are used to the small rectangular stamp that now has the word “Forever” stamped on it allowing you to purchase today and send tomorrow, whenever that tomorrow might be.  However, it was not always so, nor were all stamps rectangular. 

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The one big common denominator of all stamps is that they depict a person, place or thing that has a back story that is noteworthy.  We should all take the time to examine the picture of the place represented, marvel at the thing noted, or wonder and appreciate the life of the person depicted on the face of the stamp.

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I am hoping as time goes along, and you and I get more involved in exploring stamps, that I am able to introduce you to and show you a wide variety of stamps.  Further, that you learn to enjoy the art of stamp collecting (philately) and appreciate our African American heritage more.