Commentary
What happened to flowers and candy?
- by laura , February 14, 2008
Happy Valentine's day honey heres your new...cell phone/iPod/computer!
Today is Valentines day. For weeks, months even, all I've seen on tv are commercials for this Hallmark holiday. The day is now upon us and I find myself saddened by the commercials I've seen. I feel like the pressure is on for guys/gals to get their sweetheart the newest gadget rather than homemade cards, flowers, chocolates, teddy bears, classics. If you flip through the channels or surf the web you may find cell phone commercials promoting their newest item or banner ads displaying the most recent iPod gifts.
Maybe I'm just a twenty something that needs to get into the spirit of the digital age; maybe I should expect a new device from my sweetheart. But, for me, this Valentine's day I am pleased I will have a home cooked meal, home made cards, and my sweetheart.
My girlfriend told me this year quite explicitly, "I don't want chocolate and flowers."
I believe that some perceive the classic gifts as being too easy, or as a mode of gift-giving that "everybody does," which is why technology (though not intrinsically personal) is something that a recipient can say "belongs to me and only me..." and can be "personalized / specified just the way I like it, even if my preferences change."
A "home cooked meal, home made cards, and my sweetheart" is a personal gift that says everything. Chocolates, jewelry and a better cell phone/ipod really aren't personal. Congratulations Laura for having the wisdom of the ages.
It's all about spending time together. My honey bought me a boot-bag for skiing, since we ski together almost every weekend, and we made dinner.
V-day is just a good excuse for commemorating your love - if you don't let it be commercial gooey-ness, it won't be.