Valentine's Days Gone By

     Greetings, All -- At breakfast this morning, my spouse and I reminisced about how exciting Valentine's Day was when we were in primary school.  We were hundreds of miles apart, but were immersed in the Southern social mileau.  It may have been the same in Ohio and Wisconsin because our little snow-bird schoolmates never seemed surprised about anything we did.  In turn, they treated us to such wonders as displays of red and yellow Fall leaves that we had never before seen.

     Days before the magical Fourteenth of February, all of the youngsters in our neighborhood were deep in thought, pondering to whom (think plural) they would pass Valentines.  This was not for discussion with parents, of course, but was an exceedingly private contemplation of  deserving chums, boys and girls.

     The local ten-cent stores, Kresses, Woolworths and others, plus the drug stores all sold packages of paper lace, colored construction paper, heart stickers and most desirable of all, actual Valentine Cards, many with moving parts.  Cupid's bow and arrow could be rotated to point upward or horizontally.  These cards with their envelopes cost up to five-cents apiece, a king's ransom.  They were reserved for very, very special people.

     After decisions were made, cards carefully fabricated and addressing done, there came the night before Valentine's Day.  After dark, hordes of youngsters ran all over the neighborhoods, avoiding identification to the maximum possible extent.  They dropped cards into mailboxes, rang doorbells and ran like the dickens to keep their secret.  My spouse pointed out that many children tripped over obstacles on the lawns that were invisible in the darkness.  Many skinned knees testified to such activity.

     The excitement continued in home room the next morning.  Every class had made a Valentine Box with appropriately colorful designs and a slot in the top.  Before the bell rang, the box was stuffed with exciting paper.  It was soon opened and the messages of secret affection distributed with great hubbub and excitement.  Can you imagine how much fun that was!  We barely finished dealing with Cupid before it became time for Washington's Birthday and hatcheted trees to appear on the scene.  What a great life!

     We trust that each of you had a Valentine's Day filled with child-like love and happiness.  It would not be a bad a idea for all of us to try that every day of the year. As you likely have deduced, we are hopeless romantics, but are solidly planted in the reality of here and now. Past times are fun to remember,but so will these days be some tomorrow.

     Best wishes, Billy Hawkfinder