Valentines Day Memories

I was reading Vic’s blog about her childhood memories of Valentines Day as a child. I thought I would share a few of mine.

I look back at my childhood and I remember the type of child I was. My memories recall a young boy from a very poor family. I worked my butt off from my earliest memories. I grew up with different values of most around me. I think I had the values of my elders instead of the values of a child.

When it came to reacting with the children I grew up with especially as a young child in my elementary years I was different. I loved to fight for the kids being picked on. It was something I was good at and I had a reputation that drew attention from those that needed help.

Recess was a time during school that most scuffles took place. Strange how girls would approach me and ask if I would please make so and so stop picking on them and I would do so. I became good friends with the Principle and the oar that he used for a paddle. I think my classmates all got a kick out of my being dragged off by the scruff of the neck most days. I always thought I had done honorable deeds though so always took my punishment with no shame.

Valentines Day was really embarrassing to me due to the fact that Valentines that I brought to school had to be of the homemade kind. Any money used to buy Valentines in my home with seven children went to the three oldest that were the girls of the family. Yes, Like Vic Valentines had to go to every member of the class. I would make as a boy, what I thought were nice cards for the girls and make cool cards for the boys. I don’t think homemade went over very well year after year and were not accepted as anything special. The hours with scissors, paper and paste and crayons did not go over well and I can still remember watching certain expressions of disgust on girls faces when they pulled my cards from their boxes or paper bags and of course the teasing that would come as a result is a memory that will never fade..

I myself would feel like Charlie Brown on Valentines Day. I think a rock would have been better than the nothing I would receive from the many girls who’s honor I had stood up for in all the play ground skirmishes. So much for a Valentine for every classmate.

I guess that these girls must have come to realize that the boys’ picking on them was just a reach for their attention.