Valentine’s Day

I’ve never been particularly fond of Valentine’s Day, but I do like the great sales on leftover candy afterward.

While I am pro-love and pro-romance, the idea of a commercial holiday intended to boost sales of candy, flowers, and such has long bothered me. After all, the message we are sent is that love is demonstrated by material goods and that more money spent = more love. My view is that while gifts are nice, love is better expressed in more thoughtful and meaningful ways.

Of course, only a fool would fail to get something for his woman on this day:

Gal: “So, what’d you get me?”
Dude: “Well, baby, I realized that spending money on candy and diamonds is to give in to commercialism. That undermines the true nature of love.”
Gal: “What?”
Dude: “I intend to express my love in more thoughtful and meaningful ways.”
Gal: “Uh huh. Well, you’ll be ‘expressing your love’ alone tonight. Throw some blankets and a pillow on the couch-that is where you’ll be sleeping.”
Dude: “I was just kidding. Here are some chocolate covered diamonds.”
Gal: “Now that’s love!”