what girls want

Can we please, just once, have a holiday that has not been completely hijacked by the marketing vampires, turned inside out and into a hollowed-out skeleton of its true meaning? Don't get me wrong, I'm totally on-board with the idea of a day of love. It's especially useful to remind those challenged in the area of expressing love--at least once a year, anyway. But where on earth did we get this idea that the intensity of feelings for someone is somehow directly proportional to the amount of currency we're willing to part with? I mean, does a woman really need another diamond ring just because it's Valentine's Day? And I understand that some people are in a position to buy their loved ones cars as a Valentine's gift, but how can they convey such an idea in a regular off-air commercial broadcast to the masses--with a straight face, no less? And for the love of God, I do not need flowers. Seriously, please do not spend 40 bucks on something that while beautiful, lasts less than a week. Those funds can get a lot more mileage elsewhere.

Nah, what makes this girl tick isn't a car, a dozen roses, or even a diamond ring; rather, much like Christmas, it's all about the thought and the caring that goes into planning the evening. It doesn't have to cost much; in fact, it shouldn't. A romantic walk in the sunset, a reasonably-priced dinner in some ambient, out-of-the-way place with great food and friendly servers, watching movies like "Sleepless In Seattle" and "She's All That" back-to-back, a candlelit intimacy session musically backdropped by contemporary world music from India or the Middle East, jamming together on drums and keyboards, or a good 4-hour low-lit topic-spanning conversation on the couch. If you must get me a gift, make it something practical, like a pendant, a unique article of clothing (nothing kinky), some neat essential oils or fragrances, computer supplies, a cool book or DVD, or if you feel more romantic and less practical, a couple-hour package at a good spa, or write me a poem or a song. Dinner and a movie. Maybe a box of good chocolate.

Really, that's it. You don't have to win a real girl over with expensive material things. Be there in spirit. Use your imagination. Care about your loved one. And by all means, forget the card. Better yet, make one yourself, even if you pirate cartoonish, themed clipart off of Google and print it out on a bubblejet. The fact is, you took the initiative to think of it and the time to make it.

Even better, treat every day like it's Valentine's Day!