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<\/a>\n<\/div>\nThis version of the holiday is also the one where women and men have preset roles and obligations (think dominant\/submissive, flowers, chocolate, lace, sex), and even some self-declared feminists get goose-pimply and deck out in pink and red for this day of celebrating Loooove. This holiday is the one where a year full of shoddy treatment and neglect is forgiven by a bouquet of flowers and some chocolate – and sex. If we pretend the love game on V-day, the relationship can carry on for another year. When I was married, we ignored V-Day as much as every other day of the year. We weren’t fooling anyone.<\/p>\n
The other version of the holiday is the twisted game the kids play. The one where they each have to bring in little pieces of paper – one for every kid in the class, no ‘friends only’ trading – and pass these out at lunchtime. The cards are usually store bought and branded with whichever television or pop character is trendy this year. They all say “Be my Valentine” or “You’re cool, Valentine” or some such hideous phrase that no child would ever say outloud to their classmate, but yet on Valentine’s Day, on a slip of paper, it’s okay. <\/p>\n
Why do we do this???????<\/p>\n
Year after year of these silly little boxes filled with papers, headed straight to be recycled (if we’re lucky) or landfilled (if we’re not)!! When all the cards say the same thing (because there are only four different designs in the box) how can the message be meaningful? And even worse – what if the message were<\/em> meaningful? How would you ever know\/tell?<\/p>\n Of course, it’s not easy to not play along. If you’re in a relationship and you don’t valentine your sweetie, are you cold and callous? If you’re the only kid in the class who doesn’t bring in valentine cards how do you deal with that? <\/p>\n If you’re going to ask me to be your valentine, you’d better not wait until Feb. 14th to act like a suitable candidate. Love is something you should celebrate everday, not just under obligation of the calendar. Set a timer for rice or cookies but please, not for telling me you love me.<\/p>\n