But now that that Kenyan run-on sentence of whatthefuckever is over, let's begin.
TODAY IS VALENTINE'S DAY! AKA that day that everyone freaking dreads and don't lie to me because you know it's true. If you're in a relationship, most of you had ridiculously high expectations when you woke up this morning and did your make-up, hair, and whatthefuckever else it is that "normal girls" do to "get ready" for the day. Your poor significant other is sweating bullets, hoping that he picked out the "right" gift/restaurant/chocolate/WTFever else it is that you think you need to be happy today. If you're not in a relationship, you are being berated and bullied by the insensitive fuckers that "have someone" and subsequently make you feel like shit because they're macking in the middle of the hallway while you're trying to rush from one class to the next and they seem to have gotten the idea that attempting procreation in the middle of a hallway is a good idea. Whatever to all of you, I honestly don't care either way. Suck it up, it's just another day of the damned week, same as any other day.
For me, Valentine's Day has never really had a great connotation to it. Much of my "developmental years" were spent wondering why everyone cared so much about giving out teddy bears and chocolate and flowers to people that they were screwing over verbally, emotionally, and every other -ly you can come up with. Three years ago, today got even worse. Quick summary: I go to NIU. Google "NIU" and "Valentine's Day," hit Enter, and read the Wikipedia link that comes up. So there you go.
ONTO "HAPPIER" TOPICS.
People like shiny stuff, yes?
Okay, look at this:
What the hell is that monstrosity?
Let me backtrack a bit and explain a few things.
I'm a senior in college and a lot of my friends/People I Know have gotten engaged in the past year or two. Fine and dandy for them, I'm happy, congratulate them, and then I see the ring. These things are normally dripping in diamonds to the point where I wonder just how many internal organs the guy had to sell to afford that thing and how long before the girl's finger snaps off due to the weight. I cannot. Wrap. My brain. Around it.
But these days, everywhere I turn, I see these kinds of rings. I'm literally sitting here whiskey-tango-foxtrotting about it because I don't understand this incessant need to buy a gaudy ring that will get stolen the moment your fiance decides she's going to take a quick nap in the student centre, screwing you out of that inane amount of zeros you just wrote a check for.
What really gets me though is that the poor guys seem to believe that they are required to buy their girl a ring like this in order to get a "Yes" and the girls believe that without that kind of ring, they shouldn't marry the guy! Who...what...HUH?! What the hell? Who came up with that idea? Why can't the fact that someone is actually willing to get down on one knee in the mud/dirt/melted snow/nasty floor/etc. and tell you flat out that they are willing to put up with your stupid bullshit for the "Rest of Their Lives" be enough?
Honestly. People these days drive me crazy and it's a wonder I haven't smashed my head against my desk hard enough to cause significant damage to my occipital lobe.
So I've been dating someone for three years and honestly Valentine's Day doesn't mean anything to me. It seemed like just another day for sure. I think there are still many people that act high schoolish about it and need to get flowers and chocolates and all that crap. I saw my boyfriend over the weekend and got roses but honestly if he hadn't brought them that would have been ok too. I feel since I've grown up more that Valentine's Day has lost its appeal. I think a lot of the appeal in high school is to show off what you get and broadcast to everyone that you're loved. And as for the engagements they're everywhere that's for sure. I think that ring is gorgeous but I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for it because I know that's probably not realistic for me. Do I ogle at some of the bigger rings? Oh yeah for sure. But I know that when the proposal does come I'll be more excited to find out how it's done and what is said instead of the size/cut/color of the ring that's put on my finger.
ReplyDeleteYeah, The Boyfriend and I have been together for four and a half years come next Monday myself. Valentine's Day just doesn't hold any appeal for me, for various reasons, including those I listed.
ReplyDeleteExpressing love is not the issue for me, though. The issue is when people try to "out do" others in their "romance" or when they feel obligated to do something for their significant other on a certain day. It's frustrating because for me, that means you just did it out of a sense of requirement, rather than actually having a desire to do something for the other person. For me, expressing your love should be done whenever you feel like it, because then it has a more profound effect.
As for the rings, well...I summed up my ideas pretty much completely up there. I don't see the point of a large ring with a ton of diamonds, but that's me, I guess. Again, it's the obligation that guys feel to get their girlfriend a hugely expensive ring because that's what they believe is expected of them.
Regardless, I really do appreciate you taking the time to read and comment on my blogpost. I read all of them and really enjoy seeing what others have to say about the stuff that I write about. So thank you, and have a great rest of your day and/or night.
I've been with my boyfriend three years and valentine's day is basically an "eh" situation for both of us. I think last year he got me something unromantically practical, like beef jerky, and I didn't get a present because I was poor; this year he's poor and I got him candy. It's a nice excuse for people who are dating to buy each other presents, but people get freaking stupid over it.
ReplyDeleteThen again, my dream wedding involves getting hitched in a forest preserve in my blue jeans in a party costing something like $10 a guest, I think that ring is an ugly piece of crap, and my heroine/role model growing up was Xena rather than Barbie, so there you go.
Agreed. I really wish it wasn't all over the place come February because it just makes me nauseous. What's the point to it? To make others feel bad about themselves, essentially. To show off what you (may) have and others don't. It's frighteningly annoying and disturbed.
ReplyDeleteAlso, Xena is awesome.