Hating the Game...

First let me say that this is NOT going to be yet another rant by yet another single person against the forced "lovey-wuvey-ness" of the upcoming V-D extravaganza. I think Valentine's Day can be very nice and special and if you have someone to go play/celebrate with more power to ya!

That said, what the Hell??! Have we all gone insane? I mean, I have no problem with the idea that it's a nice idea to celebrate the fact that you love someone -- I, myself, am ALL about the love -- but my god, I really think the rules/expectations/guilt/stress/MONEY aspect of the whole damn thing are really getting out of hand. Case in point:

Note to parents from my kid's school (not official note, just friendly reminder from "Concerned parent"): "This Valentine's Day please remember that if your child is going to bring a valentine for a friend, he/she should provide valentines for all the children in his/her class rather than singling out a select few. This will prevent any particular child's feelings being hurt and will contribute to the cohesiveness of the group."

Ummmm. My child plays with three kids in her class. She has "crushes" on two others. She has two best friends (neither of whom is in her current class). Sometimes she really likes one particular child and sometimes I force her to play with another little girl whom she quite honestly has no use for but she plays with her anyway because she loves me. From what I've seen my child is not all that different from every other kid in her class. If my little girl did not receive a Valentine from one of the 18 other children in her class with whom she is friendly but feels no special attachment, I'm thinking, really, honestly, that there would be no skin lost off her back -- that is unless she was informed that it was the norm for everyone to give everyone Valentines. THEN were she not to get one, then she might notice and/or feel a little bad about it. Look, people, all I'm saying is there will come a time when my Boo doesn't get a Valentine from every single person she knows. When this time comes, I, for one, would much rather she had learned that it's no big deal starting at age six; than learn instead to expect something that will probably cease to happen as she approaches older kid/grown-up-ness. Just my personal thoughts. I'd love to hear what other people think about this. Really I would.

Next, I heard this on the radio today:

Boy voice: Happy Valentine's Day Honey!
Girl voice: [sounding angry] All you got me is a card??!
Girl voice: [Having opened card and discovered gift certificate for something - now sounding happy] Oh, my goodness, a $75.00 gift certificate! Oh, honey, I love it! Thank you!

K. Is it just me or would anyone else snatch that damn card right out of that chick's whiny, ingrate, grasping little fingers and start packing the U-Haul. I mean seriously. Where the hell do people learn that not only should they expect something each and every Valentine's Day that is "significant" (e.g. expensive and/or different from the affection you get the rest of the year) and that they not only get to be disappointed if it doesn't happen but that they also get to be pissed off if they feel it's not enough of those things??! Hmmmmm. Could it possibly be something they learned IN THE FIRST GRADE!! I dunno. I'm really just asking...