Chocolate Covered Hearts!

Last night I was watching the Soul Train Valentines Celebration while flipping through the channels when I probably should have been sleeping I came across that and decided that I wanted to watch it and listen to the love songs that people sung back in the day, vintage, as they called it.

Now, February and myself have had a love hate relationship for a while now. There are some things I like about it and somethings I don't. I like that it is Black History month, it is a short month, because most of the months these days seem to drag on to no end sometimes and hardly anything worth talking about happens, lol, I haven't liked all the rain that we have been getting since the month started but I understand that it is still winter and we need the rain and it could be worse, I could be living in a state where we get blizzards and tornadoes, etc..But, for me rain storms are enough. I don't like the fact that February is a constant reminder that I am single, again. All the Valentines day commercials on TV, are a constant reminder and I especially dislike the one about the jewelry that says every kiss begins with jewelry and the happy couple kissing while getting engaged or whatever they are celebrating that begins with a kiss. Then each time I log on to Facebook I get hit with a thousand contests asking who is your Valentine and what are you going to do and win this box of nuts, candy, cupcakes, gift card, etc...for your Valentine. One post asked how are you going to pamper your Valentine this year to win something like a bear or something Valentine related, maybe leggings who knows? But, yes, I entered and yes, I told them my Valentine was myself and I was going to pamper myself. That got me a few likes in this like related social media world. (LOL)

Valentines Day used to be a reminder of a relationship that went south after ten years. That was the day in 1991 I was standing at the bus stop waiting for the bus to go to work. That year Valentines Day was on a Thursday and I had to work late on Thursdays, my one late day, so I had to be at work around noon and I was just standing there looking all cute in my Valentines Day "hearts attack" tee shirt with my little white and pink shoes on to match the shirt. I had planned to stop at Subway and get my lunch/dinner for the evening when I returned home. So, I am waiting for the bus that was late, the bus always seemed to be late. Back then I lived a block away from the bus stop so I didn't have to really hurry to get to the bus stop. So, I am waiting and waiting and it was hot that day also around 90 degrees in the shade. Needless to say I was not wearing a jacket making me even more cute. Ok, yeah, I was a little full of myself back then only because I was young, slim, and got lots of attention from everyone. Not that I craved attention but it was just nice to be noticed sometimes.

So, I am standing there and all of a sudden this car going in the opposite direction with a man with curly long hair blows the horn. I look up cause I was still thinking about what kind of sandwich I was getting and how long I would have to get there and get it and not be late for work. So, this man waves to me. I am still in my sandwich state of mind and I am thinking maybe I know him, after all I worked with a lot of people in a big building back then called a library, so it could have been a person I worked with or a patron. So, just in case I waved back. So, I went back to counting the minutes and looking at my watch, back then I wore one, to see how many minutes the bus was supposed to come, and then I noticed that the car had turned around at the stop light, made a U-turn. I was thinking to myself what is he doing? He was cute and everything but he still could be a serial killer or rapist or something looking for his next victim and I was not going to be it. I had just watched Oprah I think days before and was thinking in the back of my mind never let them take you to another location to kill you. So, my guard was up when he pulled up near me by the corner. I didn't go close to the car. No way I was thinking was he going to open the door and pull me in. I stood a safe distance away and was hoping that the bus came quickly.

So, the curly long haired guy asked from his open window could he talk to me a minute. I said well, I am supposed to be somewhere so I don't have a lot of time. He asked did I need a ride. I looked at him like he was nuts, like yeah, right, I am going to get in a car with a complete stranger and end up on the 6 o'clock news no way! I don't even take rides from people I do know 99 percent of the time. So, then he asked for my number and I declined because I was still in my he might be a killer frame of mind and told him he could give me his and I would call him. He scribbled on a small piece of paper and reached out of the window and gave me the paper. Just then the bus came and I got on it hoping he didn't follow the bus.  I was a wee bit paranoid but I thought to myself better safe then sorry.

Well, needless to say I got over my paranoia about him anyway and got to know him, or at least I thought I did, and ended up in a long relationship that probably should have only lasted 10 months not 10 years but you live and you learn.

So, after that break up I didn't celebrate Valentines Day for years. I would go to the store the next day after Valentines day when the chocolate was on sale and buy a couple of boxes. In my mind I was not celebrating anything, it was the next day and the candy was on sale, win-win for me. Thankfully, at that time the Walgreen's was only two blocks away and I could get my after Valentines Day candy there and not go that far and the car wash which would sell the bears and balloons in a basket would have them half off too the next day and sometimes I would go there and get my not celebrating Valentines Day gift for me to me. Usually, I would see my mom within that week and give her a box of my half off candy which she never knew was half off. Not that she would have cared. Chocolate is Chocolate whether you paid full price for it or not.

Fast forward to 2017. I have gotten over all the Valentines Day "stuff" for the most part and I have a son now that "must" celebrate every holiday, even the hallmark holidays like this one, I now call it that. ( I am only kidding, a little) So, since he has been asking me about Valentines Day since his friend across the street who is all of 9 proclaimed that he has a "girlfriend" and was getting her some chocolate, my son who is all of 12, and doesn't have a girlfriend, still wants to celebrate with chocolate hearts candy so how can I say no to that? All I can do is get over myself, and go to the dollar tree where every day their candy is on sale. Win-win again!

Happy Valentine's Day!