Greetings

I received a card in the mail yesterday, but saved it until today to savor. The sender never fails to move me with her selection, no matter what the occasion.

The reverse is not entirely true. It usually goes something like her asking, “Did you even read this before you sent it?”

“Uh, yeah. Kind of.”

“So, I’m your niece, now?”

“But, it’s a nice picture, isn’t it?”

I should know better. Years ago, I was in the greeting card publishing business. (Might be easier if I listed businesses I haven’t been in.)

Upon entering the field, I prowled the card racks to get a sense of consumer behavior. Guys were usually shopping within 24 hours of the event. Before or after. They got in, picked whatever was in the upper left pockets of the appropriate section and got out.

To women, it was more of an experience. They would leisurely work their ways up and down the aisles, frequently pausing to read cards. Actually read them.

They would seldom buy one. Instead, they bought all the cards that struck their fancies. It didn’t matter if an event was imminent. One was sure to arise and they’d have the perfect card for it. Hence, the brand name “Shoebox.” It’s common for them to squirrel away cards in shoeboxes.

Next time, I’ll do better.