Valentine's Day in Olden Times

Hi All!

When I was a grade school urchin, Valentine's Day was quite the big deal. In those days, the 60's, kids weren't required to give EVERYONE a valentine. No, the girls and boys could pick and choose and it could be ecstatic or devastating, depending on who gave you a card and who snubbed you.

I still have a scrapbook with several years of valentines glued in. As I went over them, the memories flooded back -- the agonies and the ecstasies of peer opinion.

From High School to about the 10th year of my marriage, I tried to outdo myself every Valentine's Day -- elaborate home-made cards, mushy love letters, dozens of red roses, chateau briand and red wine at The Lex.... sigh.

One of my favorite valentines was a thumb-flip little book that was entitled "My Heart Pants for You." When you rifled through to animate it, a guy with valentine pants pulled them down and mooned.

Sad to confess, VD hasn't done much for me for the last decade or so. Like so many traditional holidays, everything is over-commercialized, spread out and watered down.

Sadder still, I just ain't that romantic anymore, and it's something you can't force.

For those whom this "Saint Valentine's Day" still holds excitement and romance, more power to you. Me, I'm gonna go on-line and print out a card and make Tuna Helper for dinner.

Cheers!