happy f***ing VD

why do i hate this wonderful day of love and kisses?

is it because i don't have a romantic bone in my body? no.

is it because i'm all alone on this day set aside to celebrate that we cling to each other to get through life? no.

is it because i've never had anyone do something nice for me on this day for people to do something nice for someone special? no.

it is because i don't feel special? no.

i have long been in a battle against valentine's day but i can't fault other people for their desire to participate in this highly successful consumeristic attempt to make a good deal of people very depressed and make the rest of us spend our money on something - anything - or else... as a co-worker put it, "i'm not into this whole romantic thing, i just like the candy."

here's my advice: if you feel obligated to do something nice for your sweetheart, you should do it the day or a week before or even the day after valentine's day (though if your sweetheart buys into this shit, this may not be such a good idea - you wouldn't want to give the indication that you forgot or waited for after-holiday sales, would you?). a dozen roses given on any other day would mean a little more than anything given on this day. and fuck roses - find out her favorite flower and give her a bunch of those. oh yeah, and fuck hallmark.

granted, my war is ultimately fruitless and like last year, sometimes my protests fall flat on their face - but at least i try. and it's not like i'll disdain from appreciating gifts on this day, but i just would rather receive them on any other day - is that so bad?

i'm sure hamlet appreciates that i expect nothing from him, will not be disappointed if we do nothing and would rather eat fast food than fancy feast today. and i am not alone.

thanks to carl v. for leading my fish to the anti-valentine's cards shown with this post.

however, in my quest to despoil this "holiday", to come up with something unromantic and anti-vd to do, i have realized that perhaps ignoring the day altogether would be, if less fun, than at least more effective.

perhaps i hate valentine's day because i am a hopeful romantic: i want to believe that romance is more than obligation; that people, on the whole, do nice things for their sweethearts because they want to; and that they don't need a reminder. i want to believe things i know to be false. so? i'm still not a hopeless romantic.

perhaps i hate valentine's day because i don't want to be reminded that we take each other for granted. i never said that i wasn't idealistic.

the hopeless romantic.
i have never understood this description. helpless - maybe. hapless - definitely. but hopeless? it's impossible to remain a romantic for long without hope.

so whatever you decide to do - try not to let a little thing like VD get you down and remember: