valentine card shopping

shopping for a valentines day card is an awkward experience for a man and must be done every year. this year I found myself at a local grocery store. I was looking for the greeting card section like a lost child. Just when i was about to throw down all my defences and ask for directions, I finally located it only to find there were no valentines day cards on the rack. I looked around to see where they would have moved them to and saw another man walking briskly to the section I was standing in front of. He had a disappointing look on his face once he made the same discovery as me. I walked to the back of the card isle and jackpot. the other man found the back side of the card stand as well walking the other direction around the isle. once we had both found what we had been searching for the awkwardness began. He has clearly recognized that I am a manly warrior type and now he is watching me look at pink and red cards with frillies on them. I must search through this rack of lovey dovey cards while he watches, he sees me pick up read and place back various cards and knows what it is i am reading. it isn't how to sharpen a knife, clean a rifle or rebuild a transmission its- i love you and kissy kissy kissy. he can't pick up the same card that i rejected or he will be showing some weird weakness, he also can't choose the same card I have chosen for the same reason and the same is true for me. it was in this awkward search that i suddenly found myself surrounded by four other men now looking for the right card to show their soft loving side to their wife while strong manly men look on. the awkwardness has just been compounded. I was lucky enough to find a good card with love and humor tucked behind a sign and make a quick escape without making eye contact. I had made such a quick decision that i could see other men reaching for the same card with some kind of wonder as to how good it must have been to make me choose and leave so quickly. ugh! I think valentines cards or tampons are about sixes for a guy to go pick up. actually I take that back tampons are easier. at least in the tampon isle the women are like wow what a guy to pick up tampons and they are impressed. in the valentine card isle no one is impressed.