Valentine's Day is upon us once again and "inquiring minds want to know" what was this day like for you? Did you hand out cards and/or candies to your classmates? Were you more reserved and held off to the near, dear, and perhaps childhood "love of your life"? Did you hand your parents a heart shaped, crayon-filled heart? Were you the introvert/shy person?
As an adult, I can easily see it as another marketing ploy for the card and candy industries. Included in that vein, it's a good restaurant or date night plus up for those venues as well.
Recalling back to my youth, I remember the candied hearts with little red lettering and multiple, short-hand messages. I remember my mother buying the bulk cards and small boxes of those candied hearts to hand out to everyone within my small, combined grade classroom at the Clearfield Alliance Christian School. Many years, I can equally recall making cards for my mother and occasionally my sister (I was usually prodded to do this, haha). In my younger days, I gave one to my dad as well.
As I became older, I realized that my mother's birthday was only a few days after Valentine's, so I'd be creating two cards or going with my dad to purchase a birthday gift or perhaps a box of chocolates for her, but saying it was from my sister and I.
Here's where the story becomes a little more daring...at least in my mental picture frame. If you'll recall Memory Jogger: Early Crushes, I had two dear crushes that I had a more heartfelt close-hold (no pun intended) towards. Being a teenager, handing out about ten cards and candies (remember, very small private school) was no longer the cool thing, therefore I withheld those gifts to the more important women, or crushes, in my life. Obviously, my mother and sister received their Valentine's cards and gifts, however the other two were reserved. I'll point you to the podcast to listen to whom the other two ladies were.
What I will tell you of those two crushes is I'd mail a card to one of them, being that she was a celebrity, whom I treated somewhat like a penpal. She would get a letter included, telling of what I was up to, how I was impressed with her career and that I was able to see her nearly every Friday (clue 1). You caught me! You knew it was Staci (Stacy) Keanan, haha!
The other crush was closer to home and while a penpal on many occasions, I would call her often and even take her out to the local Pizza Hut or simply drive around portions of the county. No! No "hanky-panky" happened, just enjoyed one another's company while listening to a custom mixed tape with the WQYX liners (clue 2).
We all have tales and memories of this occasion. As a child, were you handing out the cards and candies? Were there special people that received a hand-made card or a more personal "heart" drawing? Towards your teenage years, did you only reserve those hearts for select individuals? Did you make it a date night, by chance? Did you have the crushes that were more of a close-hold or perhaps you pulled off a "secret admirer" episode, secretly delivering unnamed cards in their locker vents or tactfully planting them in their coat pocket or backpack pouches.
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