Love Sweet Love
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2005 9:23 PM
I'm kind of indifferent to Valentine's Day—never sad when I was single, not reveling in it now that I am not—but it's still a fun holiday as a people-watcher. The J was filled with guys and bouquets, from an old guy with the classic combo of a red, heart-shaped box of chocolates and a single long-stemmed red rose to young guys with assorted pre-made bouquets of roses and baby's breath and occasionally stargazer lilies.

At work, there were cookies and candies about and some people passed out cards, which kind of reminded me of elementary school Valentine's Day celebrations. You know, the perverse ritual of everyone getting everyone else cards in the lower grades, symbolizing that we all loved each other? And how the ritual evolved into something more passive-aggressive in the upper grades with kids selectively deciding who to give cards to such that some people only got pity cards, which was kind of sad in retrospect, but part of the cruel hierarchy and shameless status-seeking of grammar school.

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