Valentymbs
There was a
candy store on the way to school when I lived in Camden, New Jersey, you stop
in there with your pennies and look up through
glass at the candies on display in trays and make your selections. Gosh
that was good. I'm sure most of you have similar memories. Kids like candy.
But, there
was no "Valentymbs" in Camden - at least not in second grade - I
don't know why, but the candy was really good anyway. "Valentymbs"
(rhymes with Valentines) didn't really start until the third grade when we moved to West
Philadelphia. Now, you have to
understand the association of Valentines Day with candy to an eight year old.
This is obviously the importance of that holiday - like Halloween - that's what
it's about - see? Nothing complicated here. This little story is a true story -
absolutely true - about little eight year old people.
I had a
little girl friend - I won't mention her name - but she "liked" me.
Liking someone was something that happened sometimes. Some girls liked boys -
it was hardly ever true that some boys liked girls - boys just didn't do that -
well not then - not in West Philly for
sure . That all changed later!
Anyway -
"liking" was a formal thing -
it was an accepted fact - like - "he's a good second baseman." Now you also had friends that you liked , but
that was different. That's as far as "liking" people really went. Now, I was new in West Philly and
I had to be shown around . I had to pick up on a lot of stuff that I'd missed
not growing up there - like playing
second base. There's a lot to learn when
you're a kid.
Our teacher explained that tomorrow was Valentines day and
that we each would have to buy Valentines cards and give them to the person we
liked. Well, no one understood this.
There was a lot of talk about this, among other things was the fact that you
could buy about a hundred little cards for a nickel or something at the candy
store (certainly West Philly had a candy store too) and "you should give cards to all your friends".
Well, it was Valentymbs Day and I had to make a lot of
important choices. I started writing the names of my closest friends on the
envelopes and signing my name on all the "Be My Valentine" cards. I
doubt that they have those little cards around any more. Things were more special
and "magical" in those days. Things just happened somehow.
I didn't want to slight anyone. Kids are very sensitive - they bounce back from just about anything, stay friends no matter what - but still, they're sensitive
So there it was, all the kids in the class got a card from
me. Black, white, boys and girls - they were all my Valentymbs. Boy, you should
have seen the pile of cards on my desk that I received when I got back from delivering my own Valentymbs. I was president of my class for every sememster except one all through sixth grade. This is true. I was the male lead of our graduation show and my little girl friend was the girl - boy could she sing - my own voice was cracking - every one laughed including me. Boy was she pretty - gosh - as pretty as a chocolate bar!
