Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Valentines Day


When I was a teacher, I used to ask my students to keep journals. Every year on Valentine's Day, I would ask them to write about Valentine's Day. I would crack up reading some of the responses from these 16-17 year old boys. Here are some of my favorites which I kept for just a time as this.

Also, I wanted to also step onto my soap box for a minute. Just as Mother's and Father's Day and other family holidays can be painful for people who are dealing with infertility or the loss of a parent or a child, Valentine's Day is also causing the same pain. My heart has been so pricked for people who have lost a loved one or those who wish they were celebrating with a loved one. Please don't forget your single friends and the widow/ers amongst us. I really think holidays like this, while good in design, can cause pain for some people, and we need to remember that.

Okay, so the statements below shouldn't cause anyone pain -- except for maybe the girlfriends of the authors. Remember, these were my junior and senior male students. I can still picture many of their names and faces and how hard I laughed the first time I read these.

* * * * * * * * *

Valentine's Day is very expensive. I think it has all gotten out of hand with all the presents. It has turned into more of a commercial holiday and people have forgotten the romantic side. I spent about $100 on my girlfriend and we decided not to even get each other stuff. So I think Valentine's Day has turned into a big crock of crap.
* * * * * * * * *
In my opinion Valentine's Day is just like any other day of the year except you get flowers, candy, cards, animals (stuffed), and balloons. I only like Valentine's Day when I'm getting something out of it. If I'm not getting anything then I don't like it. Valentine's is mainly a girls' holiday because they get roses and stuffed animals and all us guys get is an empty wallet from spending a fortune on roses and balloons. We sometimes don't get anything in return but a hug or kiss.
* * * * * * * * *
Valentine's day has to be the worst holiday. People waste so much money on flowers because their girlfriends or wives want roses. They are going to die, so why buy them? Oh well. I guess if that's what they want. It's not really that bad, but it's still the worst holiday. My girlfriend always loves to spend money. So she usually decides what to buy and then we are both broke. Oh well I guess she is worth it. I like her pretty good. I still miss the Valentine's Day parties at school though because we always got to eat. We would get candy and watch movies. It was great!
* * * * * * * * *
Valentine's Day is just another day for me. i don't look forward to getting my girlfriend anything or receiving anything for that matter. I know girls get mad when they don't get roses or candy or bears. That's why I think it's best not to even have a girlfriend at this time. You don't have to worry about getting anyone anything. I think this is the best way to do it. Now if someone decides to get me something for Valentine's Day, I will repay them with a gift in return because that would be the right thing to do.
* * * * * * * * *
Valentine's Day is very uncool for the male gender. I know that if you love someone than it shouldn't matter what you buy for them or they buy for you. But of course it is always true that the male gender has to buy a large gift or he will be a loved one for a long time. So, in essence, the gift that keeps on giving should be the love two people have for each other. (Bull crap!) if I did not get my girlfriend a Valentine's gift, she would be the angriest girl in the school. Girls are princesses and should be treated like it but there are some boundaries. No man should have to pay more money for a gift than the price of gas for one week. This is Valentine's Day.
* * * * * * * * *
Valentine's Day is goofy. Girls fall in love on this day. It is so easy for us guys to do something sweet for a girl. Buy them some roses and some candy and give it to them in a sweet way. My girlfriend is going to be mad at me because I didn't get her nothing. But she says she don't want anything. She got me a card that was nice, but that's it. She said she got me some chocolate, but I guess since I didn't get her nothing, she didn't give them to me. Oh well. I hate to say it, but I think I am going to break up with her tomorrow. But I don't want to be mean.
* * * * * * * * *
Today is Valentine's Day. I really don't like Valentine's Day all that much. I think that it is a waste of time and money. I had to buy my girlfriend $50.00 worth of roses and candy to show her how much I care about her. If you were to think about it, it shouldn't just be one day. She should know everyday that I care about her, and she should never ever think different. I don't like Valentine's Day because I don't think that you can pick a certain day for love. I think that if you really do love someone, then you shouldn't just love them on Valentine's Day or buy them flowers and candy on Valentine's Day.
* * * * * * * * *
Valentine's Day is just another day but all the girls think that it is so romantic but most guys think that it's kind of boring and sappy. Either way you look at it, most flower places and places that sell cards will be working overtime and be sold out of a lot of their stuff. Hearts, hearts, and more hearts is all that it is on Valentine's Day. I bought my girlfriend flowers and paid 78 bucks for them, and they looked like crap. So that will never happen again.
* * * * * * * * *
Hope reading these made you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Happy Valentine's Day everyone!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wendi,
You do not know me, but I read your blog often. A friend of mine showed me a video that is on the front page of cnn.com today. It is about a bill that a man is trying to pass in Washington that would require all married couples to conceive a child within three years of marriage or have their marriage annuled. It's called initiative 957. I just thought you might want to check this out.

TAV said...

For the record, I think roses are overrated! Chocolate, however, not so much so :)

AW said...

Unfortunately, I'm a 35 year old woman who's sentiments are not far from a 17 year old boy. I find it a day to waste money on things that die. LOL! I too find roses overrated. Give me a bright bouquet of daisies anyday!

Our Valentine celebration tonight? Snuggling on the sofa, watching LOST's premiere from last week, take out Chinese, doggies at our feet, and kitties in our lap. Pretty exciting huh? :-)

Anonymous said...

Roses are wonderful!!!!!
especially yellow ones....
so beautiful watching them open and the smell is out of this world...wow did those comments by students date me....when we were kids we thought of Valentine's day as two things. 1 for a husband and wife and 2. for everyone at school. boys and girls -all your friends.. It was so fun -everyone had to bring a valentine for everyone at school and we all got a box of them...it was so fun to take them home and read them all and a day that made you feel special -i think everyone!... and a day you could try and pick the best little valentine in those packages and give it to the favorite boy at school, while giving everyone one and see if he could tell you really liked him...little heart candies with words on them were for us kids -chocolates for our parents...unless my memory is failing me at 50! :) this generation has so many more pressures on them -they're having to act like adults as kids -$50 for roses? You can get them for $3.99 at Aldi's !:) and buy 'em for yourself for no reason in the middle of the week! :)

Anonymous said...

Ya know, I was never real big on receiving flowers but a couple weeks ago my son and wife brought me some tulips at a stressful time in my life. This Valentine day I was suprised by having 2 dozen roses delivered at work by my husband. Those two things spoke volumes!!

Wendi Kitsteiner said...

Actually -- about Initiative 957, I did check it out. He is trying to prove that saying homosexuals shouldn't get married because they can't bear children is faulty by saying that some heterosexuals can't bear children either. His whole stance is not on actuality but on proving a point. It was quite interesting. I was glad to see they had some infertile couples standing up for all of us.