Valentine's Day: A Case-Study

I've never been that into Valentine's Day. Or at least I've always tried not to. I can remember giving Shane O'Brian a heart-shaped box of drug store chocolates on the school bus in 5th grade. He did not reciprocate. Shame on him. I'm quite certain that right then and there, I lost my spirit for the holiday. The question is, am I saying that because that's what is true, or because that's what's been drilled into my head and I've been made to think was the right way to think? I mean, what's so wrong with celebrating a day that's meant to celebrate love. It doesn't have to be coupley love--it can be the love you feel for anyone, (in my opinion) right? Who's to say you can't have your bff be your valentine? Or your niece, or your sister, or whomever you love at that particular point in your life? Hell, I say go polygamist for a hot 24 hours and have SEVERAL valentine's!

But truthfully, J and I have always done something super low-key to "not-celebrate" the day. The first year I worked a press opening--he came with me. Then two years of home-cooked meals, and last year, we went out to dinner. We were engaged, a bit stressed out, and it seemed like the right thing to do.  It was not the most fun night of our lives, to say the least. We had a GC (gift certificate, duh) to a restaurant we LOVE in the area, that we were given as an engagement gift. They don't take reservations (even on Valentine's Day--COME ON NOW!) and we had to sit at the bar and wait for about 2 hours before getting seated in the more casual room in the restaurant. It was a great dinner, of course, and the 2 bottles of wine we polished off certainly helped. But it was almost like we put WAY too much pressure on the night. And ourselves.

Any gifts have been awesomely practical. J sometimes gets me underwear (the kind I love but never buy because I can always think of 10 other things we need more.) One year I got my favorite bath robe. This year, he got recording software he would have bought himself--I just beat him to it!

Having said that, (thank you Larry David) I was so unsure about what we should/would do this weekend. I figured I'd cook, we'd hang out, and that would be that. Basically, a normal night, only with more wine. We went back and forth about doing that and going out for about a week--at this point, we're going out tonight, and staying in tomorrow. Again, fairly normal. There will be no large declarations of love via red clothing, no sappy cards, none of that. There will most likely be a slightly intoxicated toast about how happy we are to be married to each other--this being our first V-Day as a married couple. But that's less Valentine's Day and more a few glasses of wine mixed with the knowledge that we are very lucky to have each other.

Eat your heart out, Shane O'Brian!