The Mini Van Soap Box

I am not a fan of Valentines Day. I'm not exactly sure when I made the switch from fan to non-fan, but I know I've been this way for a while.

I wouldn't exactly say I'm against it, or have strong feelings about it, I just personally think it's just another day. I don't scowl when people say "Happy Valentines Day", or a co-worker gives me a small piece of chocolate. There wasn't something traumatic that happened to me on a Valentines Day that makes me this way...it just is.

I do however remember feeling bad for other people on this day. High school was a perfect example. They would always have this "Rose Drive", or some such on Valentines Day. You could buy a rose for your sweetie and it would be delivered to them while they were in class. Which was great because then all the other girls would see you get a rose. It was shallow...but we were in high school, what do you expect. However, I distinctly remember those girls that did NOT get roses. And at that age, you might as wear a sign on your forehead that says "I have no boyfriend, so therefore I suck".

Today is cute for, say, anybody under the age of 10. I sent my daughter off to school today with her heart jeans and her heart sweater and heart in her hair. It's sweet. She'll spend the day eating too much chocolate and making mis-shaped hearts for the little boys in her class. I think that's nice. And the chances of any little 4 year old getting their heart broken is pretty slim.

My husband has always been instructed to not buy me anything on Valentines and has been promised that he would never be in trouble for not doing so. Come to think of it, I don't even care if he REMEMBERS it's Valentines Day - which would be difficult to do considering that the entire country has been saturated in pink and red hearts for the last 5 weeks.

Oddly enough, he and I got engage on Valentines Day. We had a lovely dinner at an Italian restaurant and then both went to the jewelery store and picked out my ring. No huge fan fare, no billboard with my name on it, or ring at the bottom of my champagne glass. He was not even required to get on one knee. And I'm ok with that. It's not his style and it probably would have given him a heart attack if I had required such an act on his part.

To make sure I don't give the wrong impression - I am not against romance. As a matter of fact, I'm a huge supporter of romance. I would just rather have it for no good reason, as opposed to Hallmark and 1-800 Flowers demanding it.

Flowers on a Thursday afternoon with a card that says "just cause" is my idea of love and romance.

And even though High School was a long time ago, he still knows to send them to the office so I can show them off.