Just a
Thought: Valentine’s Day
By Steve
Walker
This coming Saturday, February 14th is
Valentine’s Day. Also known as St. Valentine’s Day of the Feast of
Saint Valentine, it is associated with romantic love.
A popular myth
of Saint Valentine of Rome states that he was imprisoned for
performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry.
Ironically as a
former Justice of the Peace, I performed many wedding ceremonies for numerous
military members and their soon to be spouses on Valentine’s Day. One
particular wedding I performed three years ago I still remember it as if it
were last week.
The young man in
question was in the Air force and his parents were not thrilled that he was
marrying his high school sweetheart. At the Courthouse minutes
before the ceremony was about to begin the parents unexpectedly showed up and whisked
him away for over 40 minutes in an effort to convince him not to marry her
since they didn’t approve.
The good news is
that they brought him back to the courthouse and the ceremony proceeded. I
eventually pronounced them husband and wife. As the parents glared with their
arms crossed during the nuptials in the back of the courtroom, I conveniently
didn’t speak the optional phrase, “Is there anyone here who can show just cause
why these two people shouldn’t be married? It was a short marriage
ceremony!
At another
Valentine’s Day wedding over four years ago that I performed, took place at a
flea market on Fredericksburg Road. The couple met at the flea market
where they both worked a booth located next to each other.
Every weekend
they would sell their products at the market and when they didn’t have
customers, they spent time visiting with each other manning their booths. One
thing led to another and they became engaged and I was the lucky Judge who
officiated the wedding.
I performed the
wedding at the flea market in the office used by all the concessionaires. Other
than family most of the attendees were also people who rented booths at the
market. In their forties neither one of them had been married before. That was
definitely a unique wedding.
As stated
earlier, Valentine’s Day was first associated with romantic love in
18th-century England, where it evolved into an occasion in which lovers
expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, and sending greeting
cards known as "Valentines."
Those
Valentine's Day symbols are used today to include the heart-shaped, doves, and
the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines
have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
Eleven years ago
while serving as a Balcones Heights City Councilman, I convinced my fellow
Council Members to appropriate some funds to host a Valentine’s Day Party at
the Crossroads Mall Convention Center. We hosted it for a number
of our Senior Citizens. We dubbed it the “Sweetheart Party.”
Over 50 “young”
people attended and danced to the oldies played by a D.J. who specialized in
the classics of the Big Bands and singers of the 40s, and 50s. Growing up in
the 50s as a kid, I remembered the music as well.
We also
presented a single carnation to all the ladies when they came in to the venue.
It was an awesome event and the seniors talked about that Valentine’s Day for a
long time. There was some speculation at the time of making it an annual event.
Unfortunately that did not happen.
This Saturday
many couples, young and old, are expected to exchange vows, since it is the
most popular day in the year to get married. Whether or not you get married, it
is still a good idea to at least send someone you care about, a Valentine’s Day
Card.
And as always, what I write is “Just
a Thought.”
Steve Walker is
a Vietnam Veteran and former Justice of the Peace and Journalist.
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