Valentine's Day

If I hear one more person rant about what a ridiculous holiday Valentine's Day is I think I will scream! I am so sick of hearing about what a "hallmark holiday" it is and how over-done it is. If you don't want to celebrate it, don't, but don't infringe on everyone else's right to enjoy the day. I have heard everything from the holiday is too expensive to it is a frivolous, foolish celebration to it is the exploitation of men. Come on! Let's get real. If the woman you are dating or engaged to or married to makes you feel like you are worthless unless you spend a life-savings on her then you should probably look at getting someone new. I am tired of hearing about how men fear Valentine's Day because of how demanding women are. If your woman is that demanding then there is something wrong with her and the issue is your relationship, not the holiday. The worst thing I have heard so far was a man saying that men everywhere should boycott V-Day. He strongly asserted that women only used the day to get everything they could from their man and then promised not gratitude or love and respect in return, but sex. My first thought on hearing this - What is wrong with you and why do you keep choosing to be with such cheap, manipulative women? My thoughts were not how horrible the women were but why this guy was stupid enough to keep getting involved with that type of female. Listen, not all women are that way. Not all women think of Valentine's Day as a way to get everything they wanted or to see just how far their guy will go to please them. Some of us, yes, the decent ones, view it as an opportunity to show those we love how much we care about them. Honestly, I'm not expecting anything on Valentine's Day. I am looking forward to spending some time with the person I love being with best, but I'm not expecting some great gift or some huge monetary expression of love. Why should I? Since when did diamonds and monetary gifts become the standard for showing someone you care about them. Since when did writing someone a short note letting them know how much they mean to you become so unacceptable as an expressions of caring? Why can't the hype about Valentine's Day be about what you can do for others? Why can't men see it as an opportunity to tell the woman in their life how much she means to them? Why can't they see it as an opportunity to use their intellect and creative abilities to make her flash that incredible smile they like so much or make her sigh with the realization that she makes a big difference in their life? Why does the holiday have to be about money and how much you spend? How pathetic!!!! And how untrue to the origins of the holiday. I wish that all those complaining about Valentine's Day would shut their mouths and start finding ways to let those they love know how much they care about them. Maybe if their focus was more on how to please others and less on how they are dreading what they have to do they might find that they actually like the chance to celebrate the loves of their life. I guarantee any guy that if their girl is even halfway decent they could make her ethereally happy and spend less than $10 doing it. Showing you care about someone should not be a burden, and it doesn't have to be. That is the true spirit of Valentine's Day and for all those of you out there who find it such a burdensome holiday I hope, somehow, you can realize that. If you really can't find one person to show tenderness to this Valentine's Day then at least be courteous to those of us who cherish the chance to make a big deal about those we love and BE QUIET!!!!! Better yet, take the time you won't be celebrating the day and examine your life and ask yourself why it is you can't think of one person you want to express care for. If you find it is because there is no one worth your effort in your life then work to change that, starting with the one you view as your significant other and yet you have nothing but dread when it comes to any attempt to please them. Secondly, I would challenge you to look at yourself and wonder why it is you seem to have no ability to feel love without obligation. What is wrong with you that you see things the way you do?