So, the other day, I was having a half-conversation/half-argument with my buddy Merrill about Valentine's Day. Of all the holidays, it's the one I have the biggest problem with, and I have for years. I despise Valentine's Day and consider it a phony commercial holiday promoting jewelry and blue balls, and honestly consider February 14th to be the least-romantic day of the year.* A day where you are FORCED to concentrate on the one you love because the greeting card companies or the radio or the Bath & Bodyworks displays say you have to be isn't romantic, it's not heart-felt, it's not significant, the way an anniversary, or god forbid, a day that you actually FEEL like doing something nice for the woman in your life would be. Well, I hoped he'd stand up after I berated the holiday and said, "Yeah, fuck Valentine's Day, I fuckin' hate it too!" like Adam Sandler in that religious cult sketch.
But he didn't.
It's no big deal, but he, having had different Valentine's experiences than I have (and having a wife waiting for him when he gets home from work), felt that the day is kind of nice. Harmless. Considerate. Half of Americans are women, and shouldn't they have a day celebrating them?
I'm totally on the side of the people who say Valentine's Day is a manufactured holiday designed to guilt and/or pressure men in relationship into buying overpriced jewelry, flowers, candy, and restaurant reservations, and if they don't, well, they can just kiss their trusty orgasms goodbye.
But Merrill compared Valentine's Day to Halloween, and said that it's a day with a long tradition, and maybe there are women out there who love the day and look forward to it the same way that I do every year, excited when I see the displays, anticipating the time when television programming changes to suit that special date. What if somebody told me that Halloween should be done away with because a portion of the population disagrees with it? How would I feel?
So, I'm going to try to stretch a little. No, I'm not going to get anybody any Valentine's Day gifts (not unless something surprising happens in the next weeks), but I'm going to try to be a bit more positive about February. For the month leading up to Valentine's Day, I'm going to list three things that I love.
Who knows, it may change my attitude a little, focusing on the good rather than the bad. We'll see.
Rish Outfield
*Most romantic? That would be New Year's Eve. Thanks, movies.
1 comment:
Oh, yeah, there's a holiday in February! I generally only find out about this if I'm dating someone and they hand me something.
Unfortunately, they often hand me the severed reproductive organs of plants. This is a very curious practice. Why no roots? Why?
This makes me think of a story idea I had about a species who gives the severed reproductive organs of another species as a sign of love and endearment. The giftee then places them in a preservative (water...formaldehyde?).
*snerk* I'm not usually this cynical. Yeah, I hate Valentines day. The idea that it's about girls seems strange to me. I always thought it was about couples.
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