All week I have been striding excitedly up to the post box and slinking home, bottom lip hanging out. I was awaiting on some packages. But there was no comforting notice to announce their arrival.
Finally they arrived.
All three packages at the same time. Bonus!
Two are research books for my current steampunk work-in-progress, Eye of the Beholder, and one a book from a newly discovered writer who puts her own spin on classic fairy tales.
The final item was a Murdoch Mysteries Christmas tree decoration all the way from Canada, via a friend of a friend. And that in itself is a tale.
One of my favourite television shows is the Canadian series, Murdoch Mysteries – a Victorian crime-mystery series with a steampunk flavour. It’s full of humour, fun characters and the gadget of the week. In the Christmas episode our hero, Detective William Murdoch, was given a present – a decoration for the tree in the shape of his trademark hat.
Not long after, I found out you could actually buy it. I searched the internet and found the site would not post to Australia. I asked my Canadian friends. They checked (bless ’em) but the item was sold out everywhere. Sigh.
Then an interstate Australian friend, Paul, messaged me. A friend of his in Canada had one and was posting it to him, so he could post it to me. At no charge. There are still some most kind and generous people in the world.
So, not only did I receive a parcel in the post, but I also received a package of love. At least that is the way I see it. Every time I look at the decoration, I remember the thoughtfulness of a complete stranger and a generous friend.
Thank you both. You provided a spark of light when I was feeling down.
One of my favourite things is standing in the post office line, package arrival note in hand, waiting to discover what wonders will arrive all wrapped up in a neat little package. It feels like Christmas. Sometimes I am expecting specific items. At other times, I get little care packages from wonderful friends – like my little octopus or Doctor Who cheer up.
Then there are other exciting packages, like the very first shipment of my very first published book. I will never forget the thrill (or the sound) of ripping of the tape on that box, rummaging through the packing paper and pulling out the very first book. All that hard work; my soul poured out, encapsulated in a paperback. Oh my!
Another of my favourite things is creating – writing gives me an opportunity, not only to create a story, but to photograph and create covers and even film book trailers. I can escape into my steampunk and fantasy world, to deal with my stresses and anxieties. It is both fun and cathartic. And then I get to send packages (not in brown paper packages tied up in string, sorry), to share my creations with others.
How to tie up this blog post ‘package’ with proverbial string?
What does the postal service have to do with my favourite things – steampunk, reading, writing, creating and friends?
Packages.
Packages that promises worlds to explore, and celebrate words to share. They deliver evidence of love from friends all over the world and the generosity of those I have yet to meet.
In our modern world of convenience we are used to deliveries to our doorstep. How much more exciting it must have been in the nineteenth century when letters or packages delivered by the postman was still a novelty.
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