Valentines Day

Valentines day came after the great snowstorm with the cute name we now know as Nemo. Nemo has successfully deserted Boston of its commuters, closed down all of Newbury Street for almost the entire weekend, and by doing so, caused the poor men of the world to fit in all their valentines day shopping at the last possible moment wether they were going to procrastinate or not. My part time job resides in a small chocolate shop on Newbury street where this story unfolds. 

I have worked in various chocolate stores during Valentines day for 5 years plus at this point in my life. Call it a hobby, but I know my chocolate, and if your looking for advice on what to get to make your lover happy in regards to chocolate, I am the gal to come to. 

Every time Valentines Day rolls around, and it becomes T minus 3 days until the day arrives, all chocolate stores encounter 3 types of men. The first is a classic sweetheart, he is calm, happy, and enjoys the process of buying gifts putting his own thoughtful touch into what he buys. The second is a man who comes in, picks up a box carelessly and says, “this looks expensive and pretty, good enough!” Then there is the third kind of man, you can spot the third kind by the look of terror and impending doom on his face. This man talks with an edge of emergency, as if the world is coming to and end and he is preparing what could be, his last day on earth. He normally wants to choose the chocolates that go in his box, wanting to control every aspect of the purchase. When picking out the chocolates, his demeanor reflects that of a person who has just been handed a bomb, and is trying to figure out which wire to cut to disable it. He will never shed this look of terror in his eyes, even after the purchase as the whole thing is one big terrifying experience. 

Fortunately, I know these three men and act accordingly to each. The first man you take your time getting everything to reflect a thoughtful touch, for the second man you should potentially do some extra ribboning of the box to give it flair, but do it fast he does not care enough about this gift to wait around twiddling his thumbs. The third needs constant reassurance of how beautiful a gift he is getting, how his significant other will love it, and how well everything will go for him after this purchase. 

I find the concept of Valentines day funny being in a relationship. Its almost as if we celebrate it to keep up with the rest of the world instead of keeping up with our individual relationships. If your significant other forgets the day, or you choose not to celebrate it, it doesn’t mean that your relationships not full of love, and yet the fact remains that you feel left out of a bigger picture. Its the one day where most people look to their neighbors outward display of happiness to see if the grass is greener on the other side. When really those who are constantly looking at everyone else's happiness to compare to their own, are not going to be made happy by a box of chocolates anyway. It’s a holiday where only the most secure people will be truly happy, as the rest of us squabble to find a reassurance in one of the most delicate dynamics in life, love.