Breaking up is hard -- even for Ken and Barbie

Barbie and Ken are breaking up, much to the surprise of children and parents who thought they were the perfect plastic couple.

After 43 years, they're going their separate ways because, says Mattel marketing vice president Russell Arons, Barbie and Ken "feel it's time to spend some quality time apart." Barbie met Ken on the set of a TV commercial in 1961. They had been inseparable since then.

But Barbie has clearly been the most ambitious. She's been everything from a rock star to a military medic.

Still, I never figured she would dump Ken.

But Joni and our youngest daughter, Bailey, knew something was up months ago. There was no Ken in the "My Scene Barbie" line of dolls that have graced store shelves and had a place of honor in Bailey's bedroom.

Perhaps Ken should have sent Barbie a few more Valentine's cards and gifts over the years. Maybe then the outcome would have been different.

Bailey loves Valentine's Day. She and her fellow second-graders ended up with tons of candy and greeting cards at her classroom's Valentine's Day party last week.

They won added treats playing bingo with candy hearts.

Americans spent over $1 billion for Valentine's candy in 2001. Much of it no doubt ended up in classrooms like Bailey's.

Thankfully there were no real flowers to mess up her classroom.

But over 80 million roses are sold worldwide on Valentine's Day.

The first Valentine's Day card reportedly was sent by the Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415 while he was imprisoned in the Tower of London.

In England, during the Middle Ages, it was believed that Feb. 14 signified the start of the mating season for birds.

So that's why Joni and I got married on Valentine's Day -- 24 years and counting. And here I thought it was all because of Hallmark.

Over $930 million is spent on Valentine's cards in the United States every year. Joni and I contribute to the cause. It's hard not to when it's your anniversary.

But neither of us bought flowers this year. We were too busy test driving cars on Saturday. We're still searching for just the right vehicle to buy. It takes time to search for the perfect anniversary present, one with good gas mileage and comfortable seats.

In the Middle Ages, people would pin the name of their sweetheart to their sleeve on Valentine's Day and keep it there for a week. In Hollywood, relationships don't last that long.

According to superstition, a woman will marry a wealthy man if the first bird she sees on Valentine's Day is a Goldfinch. Joni clearly didn't see that bird.

Like many holidays, Valentine's Day can be traced to the Romans who had more holidays than most government agencies.

February 15 was the date of a Roman fertility festival. Young women would place their names in an urn and then the cities' bachelors would draw names. The couple would be paired for the year. Often these matches ended in marriage.

The Catholic Church outlawed the Roman lottery system in 498 A.D. and declared Feb. 14 to be Valentine's Day, thus assuring that Joni and I wouldn't be married on Feb. 15.

But, of course, none of this means much to second-graders who view Valentine's Day as simply a chance for another sugar high.

Ken and Barbie were nowhere to be seen at the Valentine's Day bingo party.

As the song says, breaking up is hard to do -- even for plastic people.

Mark Bliss is a staff writer for the Southeast Missourian.