My past Valentines mishaps

As you can see from my logo I am a ‘romantic soul’ or at the very least I am rather partial to hearts.
Recently my two children quizzed me about my Valentines day pasts.  After remembering all that my brain would allow me to and admitting to some slightly cringe worthy things, I felt for my further embarrassment and your entertainment I would tell you too!

Being someone who wears their heart on their sleeve and honesty always being the best policy I felt it was only foolish right to tell people you cared for, well you cared!!!

At just 9 years old I believed I had such feelings for someone. So on that Valentines day walking home from school through the park I decided to pick some Laurel Leaves, in those days they were obviously the ‘Roses’ of their time. Neatly bundled in my little hand, off I go to my local Spar shop. No I wasn’t about to buy chocolates or even a card, I was handing over my heart and laurel leaves to the son of the owner of the Spar who happened to be twice my age. So as I handed them over to this 20 year old Guy (David was his name!) I suddenly realised what I was doing. This was no longer a good idea this was going to be embarrassing. My colour matched the red in the Spar logo and it was an awful long time before I set foot into that shop again!!!

Really I should have learnt from this lesson but alas no. Though through the next few years I have chosen not to remember anything else till 13. Moving up from the laurel leaves I gone on to red foolscap paper and matching envelope only 8p a sheet so could get a couple of them for a bit of romantic writing. So there again this time in a more open fashion I opened my heart and wrote how I felt for someone this time just a year older than me. Not quite wanting to make it to the door, I decided to pop the letter under his Mum’s car windscreen wiper. Romance strangely didn’t blossom from such a gesture. I do believe I did repeat this process at a later date with the same results. Yes James you don’t know what you missed!!!

image credit

So the next mishap I have chosen to recall brings me to 18. Yes I should be old enough to know better and perhaps I did learn something. Feeling yet again I needed to waffle write a fair but this time I played the ‘friend’ card. It was also a goodbye for someone who was moving away that was my excuse anyway. The fact the card had a dog on with a rose in it ‘s mouth (look I was 18!) and was accompanied by a mini teddy really meant something  nothing. A couple of months later to my slight embarrassment he moved back. We never mentioned it but did remain ‘friends’. The consolation on this Valentine day was I did have a lovely card sent which is still in my roof (Ahhh!) from a African prince who was lovely and also went on to play rugby for England (mini claim to fame!) but rather like all the Valentines cards I had sent before it was a bit one sided.

And finally to 19 and this time me as the receiver not giver. On this Valentines day, three (yay me) cards arrived in the post. One from my current boyfriend at the time and for reason of complete repulsion I will move on quickly from that one (!), one mystery one which simply said ‘I love you’  (and still a mystery!) and finally the amazing mishap one. A card and letter (someone after my own heart!) a totally lovely letter and even more impressive with name and address on it. The address just 4 doors away from me, where it just happened that and no exaggeration here a ‘sex god’ lived. The most totally gorgeous, manly, dark ,did I mention gorgeous guy lived who I do believe was called Paul. Equally confusing was he had a sickening gorgeous girlfriend, but we don’t want to talk about her do we!!!

So here I am in possession of the wow lovely letter. My heart is just skipping wonderfully happy because I mean, you know. Then I saw him no eye contact, o.k so he is a little shy. So I see him again smile say hi, no nothing still and then the cold reality crept in. He lived in flat and in those flats there was one other it could be. A short, geeky (sorry if your geeky but geeky was so not cool then!) a beard ( I am beard phobic) and well just veering on a little strange to put it in my oh so nice way. After a little research I found out that yes his name was also Paul! Okay I was 19 I was shallow, it was a lovely note but really I am so sorry but NO WAY!!!!

So there you go life now is a bit simpler. I may be lucky to get a card, flowers and perhaps a nice meal at home of course (Yeah my husband reads my blog why do think I am posting this today!!!) but to be honest it a whole lot easier.

So my advice to my children,  follow your hearts. To be honest if nothing else it will give you a good giggle when you’re an adult!!!!
Go on the make me smile and let me know your Valentine mishaps, please tell me I wasn’t the only one!!! X