Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Confessions of a Lapsed Philatelist

This pains me to share but I once collected stamps. Not just any run-of-the-mill common Australian stamps but English stamps.

My UK relatives somehow thought a beach and surf obsessed 15 year old girl would rather spend her time using a set of tweezers to delicately admire mint condition stamps that spanned subjects ranging from dandelions and cow breeds to Houses of Devon. They were wrong. But I must say I did and still do appreciate their placement of each stamp set into individually made little envelopes lovingly stapled together with names, date and boredom factor printed neatly on the front...


Which leads me to my deepest darkest secret of all (gulps):

I have Prince Charles & Princess Diana Commemorative Wedding Stamps.

I hear your gasps of shock, the horror, the embarrassment of knowing that I once subscribed to such nerdy pursuits!  Oh would I that I could change such repugnant deeds! Will the excuse of 'My mother made me do it' suffice? Yes? No?!

Alas, I fear my darkest past rears its gummy portrait at the announcement of Prince William and Ms Kate Middleton's engagement.  It isn't like we weren't expecting it, it isn't as if we didn't know that a Commemorative Stamp Issue was on the cards; I just simply hadn't conceived what it would do to me personally.

But now I have a massive dilemma that I hope you can help me solve: am I obliged to collect the stamps for this event too, considering the precedent exists albeit stuffed in a dark place?  Do I need a matched pair? A timeline of history contained in one little blue stamp book? Or do I merely scoff and then secretly wish I had when it turns out they'd be worth a lot more as a set??

You have to understand, this is quite obviously hand wringing stuff. The Australian political landscape has taken a back seat,  the children are neglected and the dog looks at me with a mournful 'Goodo's now please?' expression. I'm not answering the phone, collecting the mail and talks with other mums at the bus stop have become meaningless. Worst of all? The Australian House of Representative televised Question Time has become ...banal.

In short, this Royal Wedding has caused hitherto unexpected angst and I'm stuck between a stamp and a hard place. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.