A Valentine's Day Story

Written by Candee Stark


Valentine's Day...the day of love right? Many years ago, 22 to be exact, I was a senior in high school. Just prior to Valentine's Day our student council representative got onrepparttar intercom during morning announcements and told us about an upcoming fundraiser.

Student council was going to sell carnations for an entire week. It was further explained that there would be three colors available: red, pink, and white. Red was to signify love, pink said, "I really like you" and white was for friendship.

The carnations could be ordered ahead of time but wouldn't be delivered until Valentine's Day during homeroom. The whole school buzzed with excitement overrepparttar 125326 prospect of it.

Everyone discussed it butrepparttar 125327 girls couldn't contain themselves as they wondered which lucky girl would getrepparttar 125328 most red ones. Little snippets of conversations could be heard floating throughrepparttar 125329 hallways: "I bet she will send some to him!" "I am going to send her six red ones!" "Do you think he will send one to me?" "I am going to get a white one for each of my friends." "Do you think he will send her a pink one or a red one?" "I wonder who will getrepparttar 125330 most?" The conversations continued in this manner untilrepparttar 125331 first day of sales. On that particular day a certain group of girls started gossiping and acting cruel. I am sure you might be able to imaginerepparttar 125332 kind of girls I am talking about as they can be found in every high school across America.

They view themselves as pretty, perfect and popular but in truth are very shallow and unhappy individuals. I had a feeling you would know what I meant! Anyway, these girls aimed their barbs towards another girl in our class. This girl was neither homely, nor attractive but she had such non-distinctive looks that she kind of just blended into her surroundings.

In fact when I really think about it, nothing about her looks norrepparttar 125333 way she acted warranted much attention. She was quiet and to my knowledge never said anything unkind about anyone.

I knew she was a good student because I sat close enough to her in a few of my classes to notice that her papers were always branded with A's when they were handed back to her. In voices just loud enough to be heard, they mentioned this girl by name and joked that they knew for sure she wouldn't get a single flower. The girl just lowered her head and pretended not to hear but I knew she did. It broke my heart to witness their gross display of humor as they mocked her over and over that day and in fact, forrepparttar 125334 rest ofrepparttar 125335 week. I toyed withrepparttar 125336 idea of sendingrepparttar 125337 girl a white carnation but I must admit that I wasn't brave enough.

I knew what they were doing was wrong but I didn't know what to do, so like everyone else, I did nothing. The big day finally arrived and I was excited as everyone else but a little nervous too. What if I didn't have a single carnation delivered to me during homeroom. I knew if that happened, I would die of embarrassment!

I had ordered a white carnation for each of my friends and I was secretly hoping that they at least didrepparttar 125338 same for me. Of course there was a certain boy I was hoping to get one from too! That day we were told thatrepparttar 125339 fundraiser was a huge success and that homeroom would need to be extended so all ofrepparttar 125340 flowers could be delivered. Each member ofrepparttar 125341 student council was armed with carnations and they roamed from room to room deliveringrepparttar 125342 blooms.

I chatted with my friend for what seemed like an eternity before our door was opened forrepparttar 125343 first time. We held a collective breath and exhaled in unison as only one flower was delivered, a white one for my homeroom teacher!

Martin Luther King Jr. Born January 15, 1929 in Atlanta, Georgia

Written by Gary Revel


Martin Luther King Jr. was more than a Nobel Peace Prize Winner. He was more than a Baptist Minister andrepparttar electrifying orator ofrepparttar 125325 "I Have A Dream" speech was likewise more thanrepparttar 125326 speaker. The husband,repparttar 125327 father and yes evenrepparttar 125328 lover caught in compromising situations; Martin Luther King Jr. was more than all that. He was more thanrepparttar 125329 "Dr. Martin Luther King Jr." and more thanrepparttar 125330 churchman, Anti-Vietnam War protester, social activist and sometimes pastor.

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