My husband is a WHAT?!?!?

Do y'all remember those little single frame "Love is ... " cartoons?

They were originally based on little love notes from Kim Grove Casali to her future husband, Roberto Casali. As time went by, they morphed into one of the longest running syndicated comic strips around. Kim passed away in 1997 but her son, Stefano Casali, maintains the comic strip and continues to sign them "Kim."


Over the years, I think Kim must have hit on every possible expression of love but I wasn't able to find one that said what I was thinking today:


LOVE IS ...

Supporting your mate's interests!! (while wearing a smile)


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For years, I've silently carried a heavy secret burden. This has gone on for far too many years. I now feel I need to come clean and today's the day. If you think any less of me after hearing the facts, so be it. I'm hoping as friends (and I consider ALL of you my friends), you can simply accept my situation and not hold it against me in the future.


Here goes: I married a numismatist ! What's worse? He's also a philatelist! (Oh, the shame!!)


Neither affliction was obvious when we met. I mean, he didn't have a scarlet "N" or "P" on his forehead. Those facts came out slowly, over time, as our relationship developed. By the time I realized these things, we were madly, hopelessly, in love. Things could be worse. Remember the movies Married to the Mob and I Married an Axe Murderer? (Then again, he started both as a child. Does that mean I married the class "geek" or "nerd"?)


There were little clues along the way. He never dropped a handful of change in his pocket without carefully studying each coin. Before taking out the recycle bin, he always checked the old envelopes for interesting stamps and postmarks. But the most obvious indicator was he knew really obscure answers while watching Jeopardy. Always explaining the knowledge by noting there was a stamp or coin commemorating the event or person!


The stamp collecting seemed to have reached a dead-end before we got together. Three large, scrapbook-like albums, hidden away in a closet, are the only evidence of that part of his past. (We all have secret stashes, don't we?) However, back in the early days, he dragged me to few coin shows where I actually "faked it." (Yep, that happens in a lot of relationships.) I "oohed" and "ahhed" and tried to seem impressed.


The Big Guy seemed to put the coin collecting on the back burner while he pursued other interests. He did keep subscribing to Coin World (a weekly numismatic publication) and kept himself up-to-date on coin news. Occasionally, he'd quietly add something to his collection. He threw me for a loop on Friday though, when he came home and announced he wanted to attend the big coin show in Baltimore this weekend!


What could I say? I tried to seem enthusiastic and supportive. I wore comfortable shoes and tried to psyche myself up about strolling aisle after aisle of glass cases full of coins that, after the second aisle, really do all look alike to the layman (or "woman" as the case may be.) Some are gold, some are silver. Some are large, some are small. Yadda, yadda, yadda...


The Big Guy's eyes glowed as he studied the various displays. He talked animatedly with the vendors. They all spoke in English but using terms I could not follow well. I felt like an alien in their world. I finally excused myself and found a seat and cold drink in the concession area. (Okay, I admit it. I did plan ahead and took a book in my purse.)


A short while later, he emerged from the exhibition hall, smiling and happy. He was in a good mood. That made me feel good for him. We went out for a nice dinner afterward.


All in all, it was a GOOD DAY!