I’ve attend my monthly 12 Step meetings for two years now and have never in my life, felt more at peace about Socks Without Partners™ . My friend Lynn runs this county’s Socks Without Partners™ meetings with the perfect balance of backbone, grace and humor. Some socks are harder to turn into rags than others—“But, I wore these on my honeymoon!”

I recall all too clearly my sweaty palms clutching the overflowing brown paper grocery bag of unmatched socks nipping my neck, the first time I walked up to Lynn’s door.

Fast forward to January, 2019, as I once again I find myself, with fear and trepidation, readying myself to attend another Stamps Without Partners™12 Step Meeting.

Our Inaguarual Stamps Without Partners was, back in 2007, fueled by the United States Post Office announcing another hike in stamp prices….and cemented by a chance meeting with Lynn outside the U-Mail-It-For-More! store one unseasonalby warm winter day, she later e-mailed:

“Karen,

I just googled the USPS — the rate hike takes effect January 27th. At their website you can view ALL the stupid 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10 cent and beyond stamps! (Did you know there’s not a button on the keyboard for the “c” with a line through it to denote the word “cent”?)   I’m getting my stamps organized…if I can just remember where I put those unused 1992 Christmas Madonnas…anyhow, I feel the need for a stamp swap support group; just like I created for our lonely socks who went into the laundry as pairs but came out alone.

“Where shall we have our first meeting? Assuming your readers also have drawers full of mismatched stamps they’d trade for more useful denominations, we should think bigger than our homes – maybe the new County Convention Center? The main library?  Lemme know.  Love, LMH”

I clicked on the USPS link and found 11, yes, ELEVEN pages of stamp options from which to choose…including the soon to be undervalued 39 cent stamp. Why are they still selling it? Another purchase option is the “Lady Liberty Booklet Rate Change Packet”, which includes twenty 39 cent stamps and twenty 2 cent stamps in one convenient booklet.

And I would buy that over the twenty-pack of 41 cent stamps at the same price because….?

And what really confuses me? “The Forever Stamp”.   So say our postal pals: “In 2007, the U.S. Postal Service will issue the Forever Stamp, which will always be valid as First-Class postage on standard envelopes weighing one ounce or less, regardless of any subsequent increases in the First-Class rate.”

Sooooooo, if it’s good forever, even through future rate hikes, uh, what am I missing here? Besides fully functioning brain cells which disappeared after the birth of my first child? Why would I now purchase anything BUT the Forever Stamp?   And should I just invest $1000 in Forever Stamps and consider myself done with postage purchasing for the rest of my life?

Ooooooh, I hope Lynn plans to have wine at this meeting.