There should be some smiles on Friday. And not just among those receiving the heart-shaped boxes of chocolates. Unless your shopping is done exclusively online, you’ve no doubt seen the all-green aisle featuring shamrocks and kiss-me-I’m-Irish stickers. It’s called the Seasonal section. And St. Paddy’s day is waaaaay next month.
Since the removal of the glitter and Christmas wrap, the seasonal aisle has been red-hot red with hearts and candy. Those stores are where some of the smiles will be found.
Any business selling those heart-shaped chocolate boxes will be ringing up sales on Valentines Day. Oh, there are some serious planners among the love-struck who have already made their purchases – but there will be plenty of shoppers who have just realized they are heading home to the better half empty-handed.
A marital no-no, as you know-know.
So expect some jam-ups at those retailers. Same thing with the card stores. Last minute Valentines are just fine, as long as they are hand-delivered. The post office will be a heartbreaker if you’re hoping to send that love missive cross-country (or even cross-town for that matter).
Here in the Rose District you’ll find a unique shop perfectly suited for Valentines Day. The sweets are hand-made daily at Nouveau – Atelier de Chocolat, an Old World Belgian chocolate shop that has plenty of special one-of-a-kind treats that will keep you out of a New World of hurt.
Of course, my neighbors at Star Jewelers have been busy for days. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend. Watch repairs are a guy’s distant acquaintance. There ought to be some smiles in the neighborhood on those counts.
Oh, and the flower shops. Nothing says “I Love You” like a dozen roses or a ribbon-wrapped arrangement. Nothing says “I enjoy your company occasionally” like a potted plant. Nothing says “I admire your gardening skills” like gift-tagged shrubbery. Now, there’s a smile, in spades.
Not to mention the restaurant trade (except I’ll be mentioning it in depth for this next paragraph, exclusively): According to the National Restaurant Association – those folks who are paid to lobby our elected officials on how to vote on dessert issues – Valentines Day is firmly entrenched in the top five Dining-Out days of the year. Here they are, according to 20 years of research by the NRA (not the rifle people). Mother’s Day remains the top holiday for dining out followed by Valentine’s Day, Father’s Day, New Year’s Eve, and Easter. (Personal note: I understand the top four on the list, but really… Easter? Was Grandma’s glazed ham so bad that dining out became a family tradition? Did someone misspell the occasion as EATER? And how come the Top-Eating-Holiday ever invented – Thankgiving – did not even make the list? Are you kidding? Really? We love to home-bake our turkeys.)
There will be some smiles around the tables – candlelit and otherwise – from both diners and those serving up love-on-a-plate. It’s all about impressing on Valentines Day, and that includes the tip. Servers love that. Servers work double shifts for that. Servers miss their own Valentines Day dinner for that.
So – Friday is smiles-all-round day.
Unless, like me, you’re among the Valentines Day challenged. (This blog is all about political correctness.) Some of us stop in the Rose District chocolate shop just to smell the rarified air, wishing there was a reason to buy a boxful, knowing that a least one or two will be shared after the gift-giving.
I’m thinking there should be a special occasion for those of us who think outside-the-chocolate-box. A date on which we could feel noticed and appreciated. A non-Valentines-Day day, if you will. But, not necessarily a day when a card or a flower arrangement purchase is required. A day that the rest of us could go out to a restaurant (but not necessarily feel pressured to look at the special meal menu prepared just-for-the-day’s event).
A day, perhaps, that we could recognize the importance of others in our lives, although flowers and potted plants wouldn’t have to figure into the equation.
Kind of a Not Valentines Day, for the rest of us.
Oh. Wait a minute. We already have that.
All the other days of the year.
In the words of that noted card-writer Ann Nonimus (in text printed over a talking bowling pin): You BOWL me over, Valentine!
Come visit!
McHuston
Booksellers & Irish Bistro
Rose District
122 South Main St. Broken Arrow OK!
