The Meaning Of Hallmark Day

13-02-2010

So tomorrow is that wonderful in the year when the greetings card industry make the people of the world feel compelled to go forth and purchase lovey dovey cards.

Now, I have nothing wrong with showing the girl I am going out with a little affection. A kiss on the street, a hug on the dart, playing footsie while having a cup of coffee in some overpriced Dublin cafe. If I see something in a shop that I think she might like (and assuming that the old funds aren't so depleted that job hunting seems a good idea) I wouldn't think twice about picking it up.

But I don't like how Hallmark needs to bump up a slow sales month by causing huge levels of guilt (mostly amongst the male population). How flower shops treble (at least) the price of roses for one day of the year. How restaurants make you pay above and beyond the norm for a sub-standard meal.

Because, let's face it, Valentine's Day really is a day for the girls. They get the flowers, they get the cards and the presents and everything about the day is really geared towards them. Any male that decides to forgo these facts is either labelled a bastard or has magical powers that can make his better half accept him and not kill him until the next Valentine's arrives.

Sure that is why men now have "Steak and Blowjob" day.

But this rant isn't going to be one that just bashes Feb 14th. It is about something that I saw today while in town picking up some bits and bobs.

As I walked through Easons I was passing through the cards section and came into the Valentine's Day part of the display. Ahead of me was an old man.

Now he was old, I am guessing late eighties if he was a day. He was bent over slightly, needed a stick to walk, had glasses and a little cap on. He was a man that had been on this rock for many moons.

He stopped at a rack of cards and reached out with a very shaky hand to pick up a nice one with the words "To my darling wife" written across the top.

As I saw this it made me forget for a second about the machine of bastard that is the Hallmark Valentine's Day. This was the very definition of what the day should be about. A man wanting to show his wife a little affection and had gone out to brave the busy (annoyingly busy filled with rude people) streets of the capital to get this token of his feelings.

To me, mister cynical and sarcastic, this was one of the most heart warming sights I had seen in a while. This is the very definition of Valentine's Day, something pure and basic that Hallmark would never be able to ruin.

Blue_jester

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