When I was young, I picked up an envelope that had, in the top-right corner, NO POSTAGE NECESSARY IF MAILED IN THE UNITED STATES. I thought, “What a great idea! If only they put that on every envelope so that we don’t have to pay for mailing stuff!”
Enthralled by this new idea, I decided to write a letter to a friend. I sealed my letter inside the envelope, and in the top right corner, I attempted to copy, in my giant five-year-old handwriting those same magic words. I put it in the mailbox, excitedly awaiting a reply from my friend.
A week passed, and a letter showed up in the mail. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a reply from a friend. It was my envelope, and on the envelope was written, in blue ink: “Please attach postage!”
I sighed, and reluctantly put a stamp on it. Guess you don’t get everything for free these days.
