A Valentine's Scolding

A Menasha Blog Encore

February 17, 1872, Saturday Evening Press

Oh dear writer, thy sting is hard to contain, for I, as well as many others, have fallen prey to love's slings and arrows and partaken of mere commercial offerings to demonstrate my love to my betrothed.  I beseech thee, to forgive my transgressions and hold me again, closer to thy bosom, amidst an outpouring of your genuine love.

Sorry, I couldn't contain myself.  But he certainly told us off, didn't he?  And this was 1872, not 1972, nor yesterday, as the author of this piece bemoans the commercialism of his day.  What would he (and surely, in that age he was a he) make of today's retailing practices which engage the shopper months in advance of the special day, rolling out the holiday merchandise, one special day after another, as if by rote?!  Christmas is barely put away before the Valentines come out, quickly followed (to a lesser extent) by St. Patrick's Day, and of course Easter, usually simultaneously, with a sprinkling of Mardi Gras beads and King Cakes there for extra spice.  Lord knows, after this, there'll be a long dry spell until the patriotic paraphernalia comes out in enough reds, whites, and blues to make Uncle Sam bust his buttons.

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Forgive me, but I couldn't resist rerunning this blog post from a few years back.  Its timeless message has a lot to say.  But in spite of that, Happy Valentine's Day!