NaPoWriMo 2024, Day 15, How Things Change

For halfway day, for the fifty-yard line of National Poetry Month (US and Canada), for the late bunt that moved me to second base, for Day 15; I was to be inspired by the wide, wonderful, and sometimes wacky world of postage stamps. I assumed my poem was in the offing.

Technically, I’ve been, or was, a collector of stamps since around age 11. Over the years that hobby dwindled and failed to hold my interest, although I am still interested in stamps, especially the lovely old ones, from the US and other countries. I have acquired entire collections simply because some collector had lost interest. Click here for wiki on plate blocks.

How Things Change

When I was quite young,
too young,
my aunt gave me her
well organized, large collection
of used postage stamps.

My sister’s boyfriend at the time
(she was 13 years older than I)
collected new plate blocks.
He gave me some and encouraged me
to abandon used stamps for new
with printer plate numbers.

I did. He helped. I traded
my aunt’s collection to enhance
the upgrade. Eventually,
I put my collection away,
although I have acquired
other collections over the years.

I’m different now. Sister’s BF
has gone to the big Post Office
in the sky. I am not a collector
of anything. I’m an accumulator
(books, rubber ducks, some
stuffed animals and dolls).

But for many years I have
regretted my decision to part
with my aunt’s collection. Those
old used stamps would mean
more to me now than all the
many collections I have
stored and ignored.

Look both ways and appreciate the past,
but if wisdom comes with age,
accept it without regret, if you can.
Mind the gaps because memory is a strangely alterable thing.

13 thoughts on “NaPoWriMo 2024, Day 15, How Things Change”

  1. Husband and I were into stamp collecting, used postage stamps, before the kids were born but then life gets in the way and we put our albums aside. Now that hubby’s brother has passed away and we acquired his collection, it’s sparked a new interest. And I’m sure we will have a new-found respect knowing the stamps were once his late brother’s. It’s good to have a connection.

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  2. I too was a collector, of coins and stamps. When I could afford it I switched to buying whole sheets, half sheets, or any smaller amount, according to finances at the time. I tried to buy at least a block of 9 so there was always that one perfect specimen in the middle! I thought I would retire on the fortune I would make later on…I was wrong!

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  3. I just realised my comment is not here… Probably because in my mind I had but my fingers forgot to complete the action…

    It’s a bummer when we realise later on that that thing we had when we were younger would mean more today. But c’est la vie and we can’t change what happened back then.

    I collected various things over the years (but nothing like this). Teapots (for my one-day tea house), shells and sand (so I could get a whole “where have I been” thing, etc. Where are they now? Donated or at the bottom of a box I still have not emptied since moving here…5 years ago this coming July!

    All that to say, this is a lovely poem, Bill!

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    1. Thanks, Dale.
      I go to Estate Sales occasionally. The “collections” are there for all to see. No longer of any value to the collector, nor to most others.
      One day I realized that the person whose library I was looking over was (or had been) a collector. In many cases he had more than one copy of just the right books. I probably liked that more than most. Not sure why.

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      1. It’s still a fun pasttime. You must have seen some cool stuff.
        I am reading LotR with a few women and one of them has multiple versions of the book. Really? And she enjoys reading from one to the other. Different strokes, I guess!

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      2. I used to do that bibles. On line (these days) you can even read versions side-by-side.
        I agree though–different strokes.
        I recently bought some old Dr. Seuss books made more valuable because later editions are updated for political correctness. 🙂

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      3. Wow… who’d a thunk?
        Now Dr. Seuss, I can agree with. And don’t get me started on this fucking political correctness shit. Sorry… not sorry.

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