Don’t look now, boys, but if you haven’t picked out the perfect valentine for your lady, you’re liable to feel Cupid’s sharp arrow pierce more than just your heart. Every year, for as long as I can remember, Valentine’s Day has fallen on the 14th of this month, but somehow it sneaks upon unsuspecting fellows like a thief in the night. It strikes without warning, at least that’s the line most guys use, but gals know the truth.
Hundreds of FTD ads on television have somehow gone unnoticed by their husband or boyfriend. Store shelves sagging beneath the weight of chocolates in red, heart-shaped boxes are ignored as if they contained a deadly plague.
Why? Why do men wait until the last minute to buy flowers, candy, jewelry or even a 50-cent card from Dollar Tree? What’s in their DNA that causes them to drag their heels instead of planning something special for their valentine?
Is it because their father rarely bought their mother a gift regardless of the occasion? Or is it because they’re afraid they’ll purchase the wrong thing and give their lady love a card instead of the engagement ring she was hoping for? Are males simply lazy and always wait until there’s no time left and all the flower shops are empty and the expensive candy gone?
I don’t think any of these reasons are the right ones. I think it’s merely a trait of human nature to put things off. Whether male or female, most of us know we should do something today, but we lag, telling ourselves we’ll do it tomorrow.
Eventually tomorrow does come and it finds us coming up short so don’t be too hard on your fellow if he goofs again. It’s not his fault. He means well. Be happy if he treats you with respect and gives you a compliment at least once a year. Remember, he’s a guy and guys do guy things that females will never understand.
When I look back to Valentine Days of old, I remember Mom buying a box of little valentines that came with envelopes. Sometimes our elementary school teacher would write a list of names of every student in our class. She would send the list home with us, hoping by doing so no child would be forgotten.
Mom made sure I printed the name of each classmate on an envelope. When available, she bought suckers to be taped to the back of the cards. I learned early in life to be thoughtful and not to judge anyone by their looks, the clothing they wore or the house they lived in.
I’m guessing here, but probably by fifth or sixth grade our teacher did not send home lists, but Mom’s rule was non-negotiable. Every classmate received a valentine from me. I was cautioned to carefully read the sentiment written on the card that I was giving to a boy. If I didn’t want him to be my valentine, I was instructed to pick one that simply said Happy Valentine’s Day and let it go at that. She said there was no point in encouraging a young lad to court me if I wasn’t interested in him. In those days, “courting” meant pulling a girl’s hair or breaking her pencil.
The days of my youth are long gone, and I haven’t exchanged a valentine with anyone since I was 15. By February of 1963, the handsomest boy in one grade above me had stolen my heart and given me one of the sweetest valentines I had ever received. His best friend outdid him three years earlier, but that’s a story for another day.
In closing, all that’s left to say is get a hop on, boys. Time’s a flyin’ and your gal’s a waitin’.
To contact Sharon Kennedy, send her an email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. Kennedy’s book, “View from the SideRoad: A Collection of Upper Peninsula Stories,” is available from her or Amazon.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Cupid’s arrow is sharp | Opinion
Reporting by Sharon Kennedy, Community Columnist / The Petoskey News-Review
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
