I hate Valentine’s Day

I love love.  I love being in love and I love having me wife love me in return.  But I hate Valentine’s Day.

This Saturday is Valentine’s Day – – the day for lovers.

Here are some quick statistics.   It’s second only to Mother’s Day for the purchase of flowers.   85 percent of all flowers sold will be red roses – – and half of them will be purchased by women.   More than a billion dollars will be spent on candy – most of it chocolate.   And, 90 percent of the customers at Victoria Secrets – the week before Valentine’s Day will be men.

But a more significant statistic is the requirement that those in love participate in this holiday.   Woe be unto the man who forgets his lover on Valentine’s Day.

If you forget her birthday – she’ll forgive you.  If you forget your anniversary – – you can make it up – eventually.  Birthday’s and anniversaries are celebrated by couples.

But, Valentine’s Dy is celebrated openly with millions of other people who share stories about their Valentine’s Day with their co-workers and their friends.   No woman wants to share with others that she was forgotten on Valentine’s Day by the man she was bragging about all year.

Because of that fact, Valentine’s Day is my least favorite day of the year.

I like to consider myself a romantic.  I try to do things for my wife that demonstrates to her that I love her – – and I try to do it all year long.

But, being forced to do so on Valentine’s Day smacks at my sense of independence – my desire not to succumb to what everyone else is doing.

From the very beginning of our relationship I’ve made no bones about my disgust with Valentine’s Day and the forced intimacies that it tries to foster.  Consequently my wife expects little or nothing from Valentine’s Day and that’s often what she gets – – nothing.

But  – – I better stop and get to the store.   They’re running out of Valentine gifts as I write this.

I hate Valentine’s Day.