Do you ever feel like doing a Kramer double take? You know the move, when Cosmo sends his body into a complete flutter in response to comment or situation occurring around him. I know almost weekly I have one of those moments when I feel like I am in a Seinfeld episode. From now on, I hope to transcribe those events when they happen and post them here. Let me give you an example of a Seinfeldian Moment from earlier this year.

     For Christmas, I had received a biography on Ben Franklin by Walter Isaacson. We Virginians often think that the “only” Founding Fathers were Virginians. After reading Isaacson’s book and watching several televised symposiums taped during the 300th anniversary celebration of Franklin’s birth, Franklin now ranks with Washington and Jefferson on my short list of most significant Founding Fathers. Considering I grew up in the Northern Neck of Virginia (birthplace of Washington) and graduated from Mr. Jefferson’s University (UVA), old Ben should be delighted he’s on my personal “Mount Rushmore.” (In case you wondering about the 4th – Robert E. Lee, also born in the Northern Neck. The epitome of a Virginia Gentleman and I’m not referring to the bourbon, but I digress and Lee should be a subject for another time.) 

     Benjamin Franklin retired when he was 42 (1748) and then spent the remainder of his life, another 42 years, in public service. Franklin was the first media mogul who successfully franchised his printing and publishing business throughout the original colonies. In 1753, Franklin was appointed deputy postmaster general of North America by the British crown and reformed the postal service. Within a few years, Franklin had postal deliveries between Philadelphia and New York down to 2 days. Now there’s a true information superhighway. Of course, controlling the pace of communication between the Colonies wasn’t bad for the publishing business!

     It’s a shame today that no one at the U.S. Postal Service has a vested interest like Ben did. At the end of January, I went to the Post Office to pick up stamps for a postcard mailing I was doing. After waiting the perfunctory half hour for a Postal Clerk, I cheerfully asked for 1,000 postcard stamps. The clerk then informed me and did so with a straight face that the Post Office didn’t have any 24 cent stamps, which was the new postcard postal rate as of January 8th. “I could have 1,000 23 cent stamps and 1,000 1 cent stamps.” Excuse me, trying not to go POSTAL, the U.S. Postal Service raises its rate, its 3 weeks past the new rate start date and the Post Office doesn’t have a product for its required new rate? “No, and we don’t know when the new 24 cent stamps will be printed either.”

     Oh, what a time for a Kramer shutter, but being pragmatic, just as my newfound hero Franklin would have, I accepted my 2,000 stamps and the thought of handling each piece of my mailing an additional 1,000 times.