Valentine's Day. What's your view?

[WinoJunko]

I'm deeply a romantic and I'd love to love Valentine's Day but I've only ever been single on it so I've always had that "looking in from the outside" feeling. This year however, I happen to be with the girl of my dreams! I love her more then anything in the world, but our relationship seems to be a little strained lately so I don't know if it will be a good day or a bad day. I'm planning on serenading (spelling?) her with a few songs on guitar and just trying to show her how much I truely love her (I'm not saying I don't do that every other day of the year) I'm just hoping that with it being Valentine's Day and all I can take advantage of it. Wish me luck on saving my relationship!

 

[John Boyer]

The Clod and the Pebble

For Valentines Day, at least, be the "Clod of Clay"...

"Love seeketh not Itself to please,
Nor for itself hath any care;
But for another gives its ease,
And builds a Heaven in Hell's despair."

So sung a little Clod of Clay,
Trodden with the cattle's feet;
But a Pebble of the brook,
Warbled out these metres meet:

"Love seeketh only Self to please,
To bind another to Its delight,
Joys in another's loss of ease,
And builds a Hell in Heaven's despite."

--William Blake from Songs of Experience

 

[Abyss]

This Friday, my college is holding a Valentine's Masquerade dance. There's a girl who sits behind me in my first class on Monday. I plan on asking her to the dance before class... wish me luck please!

 

[WinoJunko]

This Friday, my college is holding a Valentine's Masquerade dance. There's a girl who sits behind me in my first class on Monday. I plan on asking her to the dance before class... wish me luck please!

Good luck man!

 

[Diamondback]

Abyss, like my mentor the old fighter-squadron CO would say, you make your own luck--good hunting!

 

[Harp]

This Friday, my college is holding a Valentine's Masquerade dance. There's a girl who sits behind me in my first class on Monday. I plan on asking her to the dance before class... wish me luck please!

...that's sweet. Good luck, son!!! :eusa_clap


Now Doubt-now Pain
Come never again,
For her soul gives me sigh for sigh,
And all day long
Shines, bright and strong...

Edgar Allan Poe, Eulalie-A Song

 

[Anachronism]

It's a good day if you:
a) are in love
b) the person loves you back
c) you have enough money to buy that person something


Otherwise, Valentine's day sucks. Personally, I've always despised the holiday. Teddy Bears are useless...why can't guys give good gifts for valentines day? Something useful, like an alarm clock that plays a CD when you wake up. That would be cool.

But seriously, I know someone, a philosophy major, who speculates that days like valentine's day are nothing but Legalized prostitution. The man gives the woman gifts, and in exchange she's expected to put out.

 

[reetpleat]

It's a good day if you:
a) are in love
b) the person loves you back
c) you have enough money to buy that person something


Otherwise, Valentine's day sucks. Personally, I've always despised the holiday. Teddy Bears are useless...why can't guys give good gifts for valentines day? Something useful, like an alarm clock that plays a CD when you wake up. That would be cool.

But seriously, I know someone, a philosophy major, who speculates that days like valentine's day are nothing but Legalized prostitution. The man gives the woman gifts, and in exchange she's expected to put out.

Thanks for the tip. I need to go out and find a present now.

In Seattle, the irreverent alternative paper, which is quite large and successful, sponsors an event every year in which the host, editor and popular dating and sex advise columnist, Dan Savage, invites people to bring momentos of failed love, brings them on stage to tell the story and destroys it in many ingenious ways, such as put in a blender, smashed with a sledgehammer, burned, thrown out in the street, etc. It is great fun. i am sure many people bring their partners while many others go single so as to have fun on the day. I go every year.

peaking of the subject, it so happens that I have broken up twice on or right before v-day. As callous as it sounds, the alternative, go through the motions and then later tell them it was all a charade seems far worse. I guess i gotta plan ahead better or give it a couple of months more.

 

[64tonya]

Boycott

I decided a long time ago to boycott Valentine's day. Either it sucks because you are single or there is all this pressure to be super romantic if you are with someone. If you do love someone, you should do nice things for each other all the time, not just once a year because you are "supposed" to.

 

[miss_elise]

neither my husband nor I celebrate Valentines day....

though I do have intentions of celebrating bee keepers, plague and epileptics on the 14th of February with respect to St. Valentine

 

[Edward]

Teddy Bears are useless...why can't guys give good gifts for valentines day? Something useful, like an alarm clock that plays a CD when you wake up. That would be cool.

I'm long been of the opinion that flowers, chocolates and cuddly toys were invented for the man who doesn't know his other half (or would-be other half) well enough to know what she'd really like.

But seriously, I know someone, a philosophy major, who speculates that days like valentine's day are nothing but Legalized prostitution. The man gives the woman gifts, and in exchange she's expected to put out.

Wasn't that also the same basic conclusion as the ultra-Marxist take on marriage? We are all prostitutes, and all that. There certainly is something nasty about the type of man whose sole motivation for doing something nice for a lady is that it might make her, as you put it, 'put out.' Equally, one has to question the self-esteem / self respect of a lady willing to play along with that game. Quite frankly, in recent years I have come to feel not like an outsider looking in on Valentines day (or, for that matter, modern relationships in general), more like the incredulous tourist who - on realisation that there is some sort of festivity actually going on about him - can't believe how absurd it all is.

 

[The Shirt]

Well my fella is a man of very few words. I am fine with the fact that he expresses his feelings for me through his actions. I so much appreciate how he treats me. But I will say that on a day specifically set aside (and I don't care by who), that it would be nice if he could find a way to express in words how he feels. I don't need the fantastic gifts and all that - I just want the words.

 

[der schneider]

I didnt produce the expected chocalate last year {the company went out of business} And I broke the tradition of making the card myself.

I found a nice hotel with a waterfall, "She has a thing about waterfalls" but I fear she will be to busy to take a junket for the weekend.



Where is my construction paper and the heart shaped baking pan?

 

[donCarlos]

As a confirmed bachelor and enemy of long-term relationships, I do not celebrate this holiday of capitalism

It´s quite difficult this year, because I have one girl in my sight and of course, I can´t start any moves with this day so near. The same applies to birthday

 

[64tonya]

Saint Valentine

neither my husband nor I celebrate Valentines day....

though I do have intentions of celebrating bee keepers, plague and epileptics on the 14th of February with respect to St. Valentine

lol lol lol Good for you!!!

 

[celtic]

I have always been a romantic chap and i always will be.
I sometimes get my wife little gifts now and then and have been known to show up with flowers on a random Tuesday. I try to be the best man and husband i can, and i truly appreciate more and more all that she IS and does for me.

And so we will celebrate the best we know how (and as funds allow), by going for a tasty supper, maybe a movie and get each other a nice card...

For much of my life I was a much more cynical, unhappy person. I shared most of the thoughts that have been posted in this thread about this holiday (as well as most other holidays, actually)

My wife, however, is a holiday junkie - and slowly though the years she has infected me with her awful, disgusting love of holidays. So while I will always have a cynical side,

I have learned to look for excuses to have a GOOD day. And I have added fire to my wife's holiday craze.

Nowadays my wife and I celebrate every holiday that we can find...
for instance two weeks ago we ordered up some Chinese food and watched Chinese movies for Chinese new year, and later this month we will have some gumbo while we celebrate Mardi Gras...
We live in the frozen tundra so we just recently spent a day with a roaring fire and watched South Pacific and From Here to Eternity while eating picnic food and wearing Hawaiian shirts....just to bring a bit of fun and warmth to our winter...(the past few years we even celebrated Cinco de Mayo...)

But I digress.

My point is, some of us DO treat our lovers well all year long but also enjoy Valentine's Day if only for another excuse to show our love...

It just seems to make life nicer.

 

[reetpleat]

I'm long been of the opinion that flowers, chocolates and cuddly toys were invented for the man who doesn't know his other half (or would-be other half) well enough to know what she'd really like.



Wasn't that also the same basic conclusion as the ultra-Marxist take on marriage? We are all prostitutes, and all that. There certainly is something nasty about the type of man whose sole motivation for doing something nice for a lady is that it might make her, as you put it, 'put out.' Equally, one has to question the self-esteem / self respect of a lady willing to play along with that game. Quite frankly, in recent years I have come to feel not like an outsider looking in on Valentines day (or, for that matter, modern relationships in general), more like the incredulous tourist who - on realisation that there is some sort of festivity actually going on about him - can't believe how absurd it all is.

While not exactly a negotiated tit for tat, if you will excuse the phrase. But many a wife or girlfriend has found herself not in the mood because her husband did not get her something on valentines day, forgot their anniversary, or did not pick up his underwear from the floor. Is it direct trading or bargaining? Well, not really. But a wise man keeps his partner in a good mood however he can.

 

[WinoJunko]

This Valentine's Day is going to be the worst...I just lost the girl of my dreams. I don't wanna make this a pity party for myself, I just felt like saying that. I dunno, it takes a little bit of the hurt away I guess. Sorry if this post completely kills the thread.

 

[Paisley]

From the Wall Street Journal today:

The Roman Catholic Church, unable to verify the history of Saints Valentine (there were at least three), struck St. Valentine's Day from its official calendar in 1969. And, Cupid, take cover: All three Valentines were martyred. The anti-Valentine movement goes way back.​

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page W11, "Send me no Flowers" by Jennifer Graham.

 

[pigeon toe]

I'll be single this Valentine's Day (for the first time in 4 years!), but I have a date set-up for the next Wednesday.

I never really cared much for V Day. This year most of my girlfriends are single too, so we might go out Saturday night and have a drink somewhere and just chat. Which will be really nice. You never know, I might get a Valentine's Day kiss from a friend of mine who I've been having a little fling with too!