A Man’s Guide To Navigating Valentine’s Day
The most dreaded day of the year is approaching for most men, (and many women!). We, as men start getting anxious right about now, whether we are in a relationship or not. We hate planning something five days in advance, like dinner reservations, even worse, ordering flowers! We like to be spur of the moment when expressing our feelings and we hate being told to express them (we are working on that ladies). We are also not thrilled when the calendar is once again telling us to be nice to our special lady. Didn’t the calendar just do this to us about 6 weeks ago? After all, we provide compassion to our lady every day, and take offense to Hallmark constantly questioning the manner in which we provide it ! (that’s right Colonel Jessup!).
Well, take a load off, the cavalry is here. We don’t give a starving man fish to eat around here, we give that man a fishing pole. Lets start with some basic education about the origin of this holiday. The generally accepted derivation, is the tale about Saint Valentine of Rome. He was (allegedly) jailed during the Roman Empire for marrying soldiers who were forbidden to marry. Valentine is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer, and before he was executed he wrote a note which was passed to her – From Your Valentine. Then they chopped off his head I presume – romantically, of course. Isn’t it amazing we do not have this day off work!? OK the facetiousness comes with a point. Don’t take this day too seriously, but don’t ignore it either. A subtle acknowledgement is often all you need – Are we right ladies?
If you are NOT in a relationship, well then you are in luck. Every city and town has Valentine’s Day singles events and informal gatherings. This is a great time to meet someone and/or blow off some steam with others that are not feelin it every February 14th. Be with your people! Women usually get together and go to a dive bar to get away from anything fancy for fear of running into love birds. What could be better than this!? Head down to your local watering hole and bet the OVER on the amount of single ladies. This year it falls on a Thursday, one of the best days of the week to cocktail, if not The Best. Enjoy Lads !
If you are in a relationship, the first thing you need to do is figure out if your girl is a big Valentines Day Girl. If she is not, then you are lucky, but not off the hook. If she is, then you need to plan something. Sorry, its her day, and coming home in a bad mood because there were lines at the flower shop is not going to cut it. Start thinking about the level of which she would like YOU to acknowledge the day. Make a couple reservations so you have some options. Remember, canceling reservations is free, so is making them. Getting caught without them … well you know what Mastercard says. Here are some other inspirational ideas.
Saint Valentine Was Italian! – A super fun thing to do is make homemade pizza. You can buy really good dough now at Trader Joes or Whole Foods. Making your own sauce is super simple too. Pick up a cool apron, maybe a new wife-beater and several bottles of wine. Perch your lady on a stool in the kitchen so she can watch (and tell you what to do). Ham it up like you are in Italy, cooking for your gal. The fun thing about making pizza is you truly make it together. Make several small pizzas, different kinds, by the third pie you should have it down, as well as a nice buzz from your wine. Might we suggest a pairing with that special CD that you both enjoy listening to .. now that’s a party !
Celebrate With Mom & Pop – All the large restaurants gauge you with their Prixe Fixe menus and other gimmicks, like photo booths and wine pairings, to make it look like your $300 dinner has value. Go to a small neighborhood restaurant, preferably one that doesn’t take reservations or credit cards. You can typically get a table at these places and are definitely assured of great service and food. Supporting the local mom & pop always feels good. Sitting at the bar is also fun especially if you are in a new relationship. Sometimes its nice to have a little more interaction with others – a semi-private evening if you will.
Buy Flowers – This is almost required at some level, so you better get on it. Whether you have been married for a long time or in a relationship for a few months. Women always appreciate a man bringing them flowers. Its can be fun too! If you don’t know anything about flowers, ask questions, describe what you want, they will help you. You need to find out if your gal really likes roses though. It’s also fun to just say, “long stem, purples, whites and yellows”. Note – If you just started dating someone, then you probably don’t want to go overboard. If it has only been a few dates, you might want to try bringing one rose, then she can leave it in the car or bring with her.
Build It She Will Come – Complete a project for her. That old dresser that you promised to stain, or that painting that you promised to finish, or that birth stone you promised to get mounted. Women typically love it when a man makes something for them.
Visit Grandma – Lastly, if you are one of those people that gets depressed if you are alone on Valentine’s Day, then don’t be. Make a plan to do something. There are hundreds of elderly people in every town in the United States that sit home alone, every day and every night. They would love to talk to you. Contact Meals On Wheels, our favorite charity, or visit Grandma.
Thank You For Reading !
It would be fun to see other ideas in the comment section below .. don’t be shy.