As noted previously, I moved recently. Part of the process of moving when one is a packrat involves digging through all of the useless things that you keep hidden in closets for years, and determining what is valuable to you, and what you are too lazy to pack and lug across town and up a flight of stairs. It turns into an experience of nostalgia and self-contemplation every time.

The most interesting thing I came across, I am suddenly realizing, was my stamp collection. Yes, I am a geek, and was even more so as a kid. I tote around about 10 huge albums full of stamps, sorted by country of origin and date. I reiterate, geeky, bored kit with too many hobbies. I almost threw the whole thing out during this move; I try not to be sentimental or attached to things I haven't even thought about in ten years, but I'm now glad I didn't, as I just realized what an amazing illustration of the changing world I have.

Stamp collecting is the epitome of the vintage "american dream" era. It's a hobby that I have to assume is on the decline, and only propagated by long time, aging collectors.

After all, with the internet, email, text messaging, online billing... I can imagine that there are people in their twenties right now who have never even used a stamp. God knows I choose not to use snail mail if given any opportunity, so actually having a stamp collection puts me in a strange anachronistic place in my generation.

Now, I like to be familiar with analog things in this digital age... I know Newspaper paste-up as well as I know Adobe InDesign... I know how to use a darkroom to develop photos as well as photoshop... I think I intend to hang on to my dinky little stamp collection, because some day it might go for something on Ebay, when it's a novelty and a relic of a bygone age...

All for now... going to go back to my moldering antiqities.