The Voices of Reason: Valentine's Day

The Voices of Reason: Valentine's Day
by Various Authors

Back when we were kids, Valentine's Day was fun. You'd make cardboard mailboxes covered in red and pink construction paper, fill out 30 or 40 valentines for your classmates, and eat hundreds of those chalky little candy hearts. But as an adult, Valentine's Day can be a dangerous day, one frought with anxiety and potential disappointment around every curve. Thank you, Hallmark!

Question: What is your most interesting (and preferably embarrassing) Valentine's Day story?

Mike Daniels—It was the first Valentines Day date that my future wife and I ever had and I didn't make any reservations. Thus, we spent about an hour and a half driving (and arguing) around Mira Mesa looking for a place that could fit us in.

Now if you have ever been to Mira Mesa, there aren't any romantic places to eat anyway. After all, I did live near La Jolla and there are a number of places that I could have chosen. But instead, I picked Julie up and drove around to places like Chili's and Black Angus. I had no patience that day and did not want to wait the 45 minutes to one hour for a table.

So after hitting four places like this, we ate a salad bar buffet at Souplantation. Plus we spent more time in and out of the car looking for a "special" spot than if we had just waited the time at the first place we chose. I'm surprised that she still wanted to marry me.

Brenda McAlice—My fondest Valentine's Day memory is probably that of my first date with Vice President Cheney. He showed up to take me to dinner and a movie and then gave me the greatest gift I could ever hope for—a heart-shaped buckshot tattoo on my left ass cheek. I still feel butterflies in my stomach when I think about that wonderful night.

Brant Wellman—I’ve never really acknowledged Valentine’s Day, being that its simply a consumerist holiday, and because it’s a day that supports ignoring your loved ones 364 days of the year so that you can express your love on the 14th of February. In every relationship that I’ve been in, I’ve made it clear that its not something that I am going to celebrate at all (read, “you aren’t going to get anything”), and in turn, I’ve never expected anything either.

However, with that said, I do believe there are boundaries on what you should or shouldn’t do on Valentine’s Day when you are in a relationship. For instance, you shouldn’t go cycling with your ex all day long on the tandem bicycle that you still co-own with him. Yes, this really did happen. And yes, she did hear it from me...

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