Stop the Madness

Okay. I am feeling a bit apocalyptic right now.

Does anybody else think that love is being systematically destroyed? That the idea of love being unwavering devotion to another person, putting up with their flaws because their assets outnumber them, of weathering bad patches because you believe things can and will work out is being replaced by the notion of love being something that is shown only through purchasing material goods for another person? Is it only a few generations before romantic comedies involve one guy (Heartless Bastard) buying Julia Roberts a ring she thinks is a diamond, but then she finds out from her Best Guy Friend that it's a cubic zirconia, and she weeps on the BGF's shoulder. "How could Heartless Bastard do this to me?" Wails Julia. Then BFG goes out and buys Julia a much less ostentatious ring, but it's really a diamond and she falls in love with him instantly.

What brought about this rumination is this article from the ProJo about Valentine's Day picking up the post-Christmas sales slack. Isn't the whole thing sickening? I mean, I hate Valentine's Day with a screaming white-hot passion, but don't people in couples get it too? It's dumb. It's a way for greeting card companies to make oodles of money, but now craft stores, jewelers, florists, babysitters, restaurants and just about anyone else who can get in on the action is trying to commercialize this holiday even more than it was.

I plan to spend this Valentine's Day much like I spent last Valentine's Day (after being dumped less than a week before by the Whatever, the first time): drinking beer at a sports bar, eating massive quantities of french fries, and telling the uppity waitress to keep the large size beers coming. And I will not drink one glass of romantic wine, not buy one bag of candy, or one rose of any color. I will line the coffers of the good Irish/sports bar owners of Boston instead of the people who buy into the Valentine's hype.