Listening to the radio this morning on my way into work, I caught some commentary from DJ's about Valentine's Day coming up and an offer for long stem, red roses. It got me to thinking. Now, don't get me wrong, getting flowers is nice. Admittedly, I have only gotten flowers from someone other than family once in my life. It was a professor at work who gave them to me as a thank you for burning 100 copies of a disk with handouts for her student.
The whole concept is nice though.
Long stem, red roses for Valentine's Day is something entirely different. I may be blasted for saying this but I would HATE getting those. I do not understand paying exorbitant prices for what amounts to social extortion.
True, my preferences lie else where than red roses. If I'm going roses, I like cream ones (perhaps with peach tips). Once through something a school I was attending set up, my parents sent daffodils. I had never gotten those before but they were beautiful. Hyacinth are gorgeous as well and smell so sweet. When it comes to things like this, I guess you could say I am on the non-traditional side.
Of course, I also do not believe that one must wait for SOMEONE ELSE to get them flowers, jewelry, etc. All you have to do is buy it for yourself. I used to pass a woman selling a dozen roses for $5 (this was a few years back) on my way home from work. About once a week I would stop and buy myself a dozen. There's nothing wrong with that. Much of the jewelry I own either I bought for myself or it was a gift from my parents. I will also buy myself a birthday present each year (this years, was season 4.0 for Battlestar Galactica), buy myself a Christmas present, take myself to the movies, or out to dinner.
This all comes back to one of my mottoes: DIY, it's not just a TV station. It's a way of life.
This does not mean that I never want to get flowers or presents from someone else or never be taken to dinner or the movies. Just because I can and will do it alone does not mean I do not want someone else to desire to do it for me on occasion.