50+ Lifestyles

Just Saying…

By Q.C. Jones

Mana from Heaven and Cupcakes from the Room Mothers

Quite honestly, your humble observer of life and erstwhile cupcake connoisseur, QC Jones has a hard time keeping up with the twists and turns in the world of polite, and politically correct behavior. First of all, I am not completely certain that today’s schools are allowed sugar ladened treats. Secondly, in the current environment there are many strange and mysterious facts pushing against an age-old American tradition.

Turning to the internet – which seems brimming with what some refer to as “woke” thought, we find what might be viewed as a war on tradition. Here is a recipe you won’t find in Ella’s Kitchen:

Recipe: War on Tradition.

Combine a few people who choose not to celebrate Valentine’s Day because it originates with the worship of mythological gods with a big scoop of folks who bash Valentine’s Day because it is has ties to the Christian Faith. Add a dash of those who refuse to celebrate anything and simmer for a few chilly winter’s days. To that add mix, sprinkle in a heaping spoonful of experts worried some kids will feel left out and opportunists ready to use the day to forward some off-beat agendas on love and happiness. Once the mixture has simmered for a long while, cook in a pressure cooker of concerns about excess of stress and sugar in the children.

While I can at least understand each of these points, maybe even sympathize with the viewpoints, I am skeptical as to whether children need to be sheltered from these to prevent future harm to a new generation. The whole idea seems like a plan to require littles to be encapsulated in aluminum foil to prevent microwave oven leaks from damaging their delicate bodies.

Before all this baloney puts a ban on Valentine’s related activities in schools or the day is stricken from the lexicon of American schools, join me as I chronical one such celebration. At least recall the day through the eyes of a ten-year old QC Jones.

A Valentine’s Day at Brushy Branch School
circa February 1964

This QC, like Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Jackson, comes from humble beginnings. In my case the most starling bit of humility arises from an elementary education conducted in what was once a one-room schoolhouse. The school was quite old, I am guessing 1920’s or before, and located in rural Illinois approximately 15 miles from Taylorville and called Brushy Branch.
Brushy Branch was different, it was a “consolidated school” meaning (in this case), two other one room schools were moved to the Brushy Branch site and hobbled together into a three-room school. This consolidation was justified by the adoption of the school bus in the middle-1930s.

The way it worked was this; two grades were in each class. First and Second grade shared a room, Third and Fourth another, and Fifth and Sixth were in yet one more. I was in Fourth grade class and Valentine’s Day was a big deal for me and all my pals.

Valentine’s Day fell in a barren wasteland for kid-centric holidays. While we did celebrate and do lots of reading about Presidents Washington and Lincoln, Valentine’s Day was the only kid thing between Christmas and Easter breaks.

The preparation began in the early part of February. Red construction paper was doled in bundles, materials for making lace were presented, and tons of glue was served to the class. We made room decorations, banners, and decorated the bulletin boards. All the kids (and the teacher, janitor, lunch lady) made specially decorated paper “mailboxes” for their friends to place Valentine’s Day Cards. These ranged from simple to elaborate based on the artistic abilities of the maker. I would be negligent in mentioning, mine featured a cool picture of Big Daddy Roth’s Rat Fink.

In the week leading up to the big day, all the kids got busy making or redecorating the cheapo Valentine’s cards from one of the two Taylorville Dime Stores. Most carried funny stories or good-natured jokes at the receiver’s expense. But this card exchange was just the icing on the proverbial cupcake.

The actual event was an epic red Kool-Aide bacchanalian event. Every mother jockeyed for the position of room mother and cupcake making queen. There were cupcakes of every variety, including chocolate, white coconut, and vanilla with red icing. The red ones were the most popular. We were yet unaware of the dangers of Red-40 food color and gallons of the stuff went into young metabolisms.

For my family, the school party was just the beginning of a day long celebration. QC has younger twin sisters who happened to be born on my mom and dad’s anniversary – Valentine’s Day, but that’s another story. On a side note, mom and dad share a heart shaped headstone.

Did this celebration warp a Generation? I’m not sure I can answer without mulling the thought over bright red cupcake and a crimson Kool-Aid. Just saying….