Has It Been A Year Already?

Reporter Audrey Barnes just reminded me that last Valentine's Day I posted a blog bemoaning the horrid state of the holiday and detailing why I refused to celebrate. Its a full year later, and I haven't changed my mind, so here it is again:

I just finished writing my "Anti-Valentine’s Day" story about those who decide not to celebrate the holiday (if you missed it check it out here.) and it got me to thinking. This whole hearts and roses deal has completely gotten out of hand. The greatest thing about romance and passion is the spontaneity it creates. I call you 8 times a day ‘cause I just wanna hear your voice. I send you an I-pod full of great love songs ‘cause its just how you make me feel. Yeah, baby!

Well, this just in: It ain’t all that magical when I’m lining up with 25 other poor slobs to buy roses because I better show up with something…or else!

Now look…I know this is really mostly a holiday for women, and we guys are just supposed to play along. Send the roses. Pay for the dinner. Act really excited about it. Just make her happy for Heaven’s sakes!!

But after a while…doesn’t it all start to feel a lot more obligatory than romantic? Now, its as though men are performing a ritual designed to keep the woman in our lives from getting mad, though we can’t tell her that. She might get mad.

I know what you’re thinking. “He’s just saying that ‘cause he doesn’t have a significant other.” Well, last year I did. And she got angry because I sent the roses to her home instead of the office. Then we got in a really big fight because a few days after the V-Day I let the air out of the humongous balloons she sent me at work. (I didn’t realize I was supposed to keep them forever.) I was ‘letting the air out of our relationship.’ Heck, maybe I was.

Cynical? Maybe. Bitter? Nah…just remembering that 364 days out of the year the woman in your world will be really surprised and happy to get those flowers, in part because she’ll know you were thinking of her…. just because.