Arts Valentine Etiquette
I’m one of those people who don’t particularly care about Valentine’s Day. Not in any sort of bitter “fuck all you couples, I’m perfectly happy single” way, or in a rage-filled “Hallmark manufactures our holidays!” sort of way (a perfectly valid point, but I can only shake my fist in rage for so many causes). It really just perplexes meone day to celebrate love and romance? How about a singular day to commemorate fearless humor (perhaps Lenny Bruce’s birthday? Or Richard Pryor’s?). Do we need one day honoring the commencement of the NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal)? These are utterly pointless questions by themselves, so I don’t expect anyone to answer me, but here is one I truly need help with: when some fetching young thing offers up a cheerful and sincere “Happy Valentine’s Day” via email or text messaging, how should someone such as myself respond? I don’t want to reply with a hollow reciprocation, but I think it would make me look like a real asshole to go into some diatribe about the lunacy of February 14th. I’m a big proponent of good manners (much like my esteemed colleague, Kurt B. Reighley), so any insights our readers or staff may have will be welcomed.
I have struggled with that all day. I do tend toward the more bitter - I'm-alone-like-a-dog kind of way. Thus wearing clack from head to toe - including my underwear. 2 xist for the kinky out there. I took the approach I suppose many Jews take for Merry Christmas - "I don't celebrate but enjoy."
I agree the diatribe about why the day sucks wasn't really the best approach either. What I did discover is that people just say it even if they don't mean it and feel the same way I do.
Lemmings.