It's job application-mailing season here at the Palmer house, which means we've been spending a lot of time at the post office. I don't know if the workers there get repetitive stress disorder from scratching their butts all day or what, but the line tends to move pretty slowly. Today, spending 25 minutes in line gave me a lot of time to think about what stamps I wanted to buy. I was tempted by Frank Sinatra and also 1950s cars, but I eventually decided on Eid stamps. The holidays are close enough, and you have to admit, it's a good-looking piece of postage:
Little did I know it would be a major conversation piece once I got up to the window to talk with a postal employee.
Post Office Lady: Would you like any stamps today?
Me: Yes, actually. Some of the Eid ones (and I make a weird calligraphy-like gesture with my hands for some reason).
Post Office Lady: (shuffles to the back to get them, and takes her sweet time, I might add.) These are just beautiful stamps.
Me: Yes. Yes they are.
POL: But people just don't buy them! There's a lot of prejudice out there.
Me: Well, we buy them, at least.
POL: So do I! I think they're so pretty. It almost looks like a Christmas tree.
Me: Uh-huh.
POL: You know, this branch didn't even used to stock these stamps. But now we have a new director.
Me: Oh.
POL: Yeah, she's a lot more cosmopolitan.
This conversation gave me a lot to think about. Do you have to be cosmopolitan to appreciate a postage stamp, even if it is for Eid? Are there really people out there who take the time to be prejudiced against a stamp? Was the fact that this branch didn't carry the stamp a decision by the (non-cosmopolitan) director, or was it because of all the rampant prejudice out there and they were just responding to demand?
And perhaps more importantly, does this stamp look like a Christmas tree?
Little did I know it would be a major conversation piece once I got up to the window to talk with a postal employee.
Post Office Lady: Would you like any stamps today?
Me: Yes, actually. Some of the Eid ones (and I make a weird calligraphy-like gesture with my hands for some reason).
Post Office Lady: (shuffles to the back to get them, and takes her sweet time, I might add.) These are just beautiful stamps.
Me: Yes. Yes they are.
POL: But people just don't buy them! There's a lot of prejudice out there.
Me: Well, we buy them, at least.
POL: So do I! I think they're so pretty. It almost looks like a Christmas tree.
Me: Uh-huh.
POL: You know, this branch didn't even used to stock these stamps. But now we have a new director.
Me: Oh.
POL: Yeah, she's a lot more cosmopolitan.
This conversation gave me a lot to think about. Do you have to be cosmopolitan to appreciate a postage stamp, even if it is for Eid? Are there really people out there who take the time to be prejudiced against a stamp? Was the fact that this branch didn't carry the stamp a decision by the (non-cosmopolitan) director, or was it because of all the rampant prejudice out there and they were just responding to demand?
And perhaps more importantly, does this stamp look like a Christmas tree?