(This ran in InCity Times February 2005.)
“Oh”, my counselor said, tapping her pencil on her schedule. “Next Monday is February the fourteenth. Are you sure you want to have counseling that day?”
“What is special about the fourteenth?” I ask.
“It’s Valentines Day. Are you doing something special?”
“Oh yeah, Valentines Day.” I pretend examine my schedule. “Nope. I’m free.”
Actually I think counseling on Valentines Day is a good idea. Maybe even a better idea than a DATE on Valentines Day.
In 18 years of a steady relationship, I’ve tried many creative ideas for celebrating this holiday. The first few years I just forgot about it. Like her birthday and our anniversary. I was consistent, at least!
The year I finally remembered the date I sent my partner roses at work. Of course that was the year SHE sent ME roses at work. The flowers she ordered for me arrived hours before the ones I had ordered arrived. And she used a gay florist. She still believes that I ordered them AFTER I got the flowers from her and suddenly remembered the holiday.
We did the “lets do dinner out” thing for several years, which means of course, sitting at the bar with drinks for several hours, waiting for a table, then having rushed, incomplete service at higher than the usual rates. That was fun.
Cooking at home is a possibility. But then you need a wife that cooks. We didn’t have one of those. And washing dishes isn’t my idea of fun.
And of course we’ve done the fight on that special day. “If you don’t walk the dog, I’m leaving. Oh, and here’s your chocolates!”
Perhaps the best Valentines Day was the last one. We just traded nice cards, and hers said “I’ll love you forever.”
She left the following July.
Oh yeah. I’m over it now.
So I COULD go on a date. Dating is good, right? Let’s see dinner out. Ewww. If it turns out to be the wrong person, that’s a lotta hours waiting for a table.
So, dinner at home. Ewww. If it turns out to be the right person I hate to scare them off that quickly.
Flowers? I think it’s a bit much for the first date.
A fight? Bad start for sure! Sweet cards? Hmmm. But what should it say?
My nephew is giving everyone crayons he made for Valentines Day. I like that idea, but he is eight. I’m forty-four; I think my friends would be worried.
No, that decides it. For Valentines Day I’m getting counseling. Anyone want to come along?
“Oh”, my counselor said, tapping her pencil on her schedule. “Next Monday is February the fourteenth. Are you sure you want to have counseling that day?”
“What is special about the fourteenth?” I ask.
“It’s Valentines Day. Are you doing something special?”
“Oh yeah, Valentines Day.” I pretend examine my schedule. “Nope. I’m free.”
Actually I think counseling on Valentines Day is a good idea. Maybe even a better idea than a DATE on Valentines Day.
In 18 years of a steady relationship, I’ve tried many creative ideas for celebrating this holiday. The first few years I just forgot about it. Like her birthday and our anniversary. I was consistent, at least!
The year I finally remembered the date I sent my partner roses at work. Of course that was the year SHE sent ME roses at work. The flowers she ordered for me arrived hours before the ones I had ordered arrived. And she used a gay florist. She still believes that I ordered them AFTER I got the flowers from her and suddenly remembered the holiday.
We did the “lets do dinner out” thing for several years, which means of course, sitting at the bar with drinks for several hours, waiting for a table, then having rushed, incomplete service at higher than the usual rates. That was fun.
Cooking at home is a possibility. But then you need a wife that cooks. We didn’t have one of those. And washing dishes isn’t my idea of fun.
And of course we’ve done the fight on that special day. “If you don’t walk the dog, I’m leaving. Oh, and here’s your chocolates!”
Perhaps the best Valentines Day was the last one. We just traded nice cards, and hers said “I’ll love you forever.”
She left the following July.
Oh yeah. I’m over it now.
So I COULD go on a date. Dating is good, right? Let’s see dinner out. Ewww. If it turns out to be the wrong person, that’s a lotta hours waiting for a table.
So, dinner at home. Ewww. If it turns out to be the right person I hate to scare them off that quickly.
Flowers? I think it’s a bit much for the first date.
A fight? Bad start for sure! Sweet cards? Hmmm. But what should it say?
My nephew is giving everyone crayons he made for Valentines Day. I like that idea, but he is eight. I’m forty-four; I think my friends would be worried.
No, that decides it. For Valentines Day I’m getting counseling. Anyone want to come along?
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