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| To all my Valentines out there I hope you have a lovely day. The sentiment behind the day is sweet but the commercialization does sort of wear, doesn't it? The expectation, the duty of gifts and expensive Roses are not lost on me. I am so fortunate to have been with my #1 Valentine since we were teens. Rare birds in this day and age I hear. To all my readers thank you and Happy St.Valentines Day. ************* The Memory Lane Part, not required reading :) I remember a Valentine Card much like this one that I received in a school exchange. At that time my parents had moved us from a familiar neighborhood with friends and family nearby to a newly built home out in the country. In the 1950's THAT was the epitome of cool. The post-war generation worked hard to build their own ranch houses in housing plans that marked them as prosperous. The school I transferred to was also new. Run much like a juvenile detention center, I dreaded going. The other children were bigger, stronger and knew the teachers well because they were all relatives! If you weren't even distantly related, well, you were out of luck. I didn't know it at the time, but I was surely out of luck. My Father was one of the school board members who controlled their salaries and that put a target on my back. Political fall out at the age of 9. Ah, good times. Anyway, in the midst of all this angst Valentines day was approaching and I was thrilled to participate in the annual decoration of the shoe box to store your precious Valentines. That was a familiar activity and one that recalled better times. Since I was unknown and unrelated I feared that my little box covered with red construction paper and paper lace doilies would surely be empty. We had a little party in our room, students walking from desk to desk putting little envelopes through the slot in the top of the shoe box. Out of 24 or 25 potential contributions I had a nice little handful. One in particular came from a neighbor boy. I am sure his parents made him give me one since we were sort of in the same boat, the new kids. It had little clowns on it dressed much like the ones above. He probably felt he had to do something nice because he always cheated from my arithmetic papers. I am one of those people who are not particularly keen on clowns, they are a little creepy to me. But at least he signed it. So thanks Billy, it's the little things, you know? |
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