Six words

It's turned in to the 25 Random Things of Valentine's day.

I wasn't turned on to the "Valentine's Day in Six Words" phenomenon until today, the day before the "big" day. And, in my eyes, one of the most annoying days of the year.

Admittedly, I'm biased. I have nearly zero fond memories of this... holiday... over the years. High school (yes, even an all-girls Episcopal school) presented numerous pressures to confront the whole thing - carnations in the mailbox (or lack thereof), boyfriends showering girlfriends with gifts in the hallways... it just wasn't fun.

It doesn't get better as an adult, with people getting massive packages of flowers and chocolate at work all over the place. I walked into the grocery store tonight and (literally) walked smack into a heart-shaped balloon twice the size of my head. The check-out line nearly gave me a panic attack and all I wanted was some oreos. I'm still nauseous.

Sitting outside my door when I get home is the Washington Post, which today features a large spread on Valentine's day. How fun.

So I get in the door and open it up out of curiosity, to find an article about this Six Words fad that's been floating around the last few days. I read a few, and some of them were pretty good.

Peep.

"40 years married. 40 more please!"

"I. Hate. Valentine's. Day. So. Stupid."

"Breast cancer diagnosis. Then he left."

"Some things are colder than winter."

Some of these were pretty deep. So I thought about it. What do I think about Valentine's day at the ripe age of 26? I'm still young but I've been through some stuff, as we all have, and continue to. I also thought about what my sentiments would have been at different points in my life. I guarantee you had VERY different thoughts about Valentine's day 15 years ago.

As an English major, I know how difficult it is to narrow your thoughts down into the fewest words possible (an actually assignment I had in college once). It's natural for people to put as many words into a statement when they have something to say. But it's so much harder to simplify something so complex.

That said, I love a challenge.

So, as I sit here waiting for the nausea to burn of and the next episode of What Not To Wear to come on, Valentine's Day, over the years, in its simplest form.

"Can I watch Sesame Street now?" (1988)

"Met a boy. I'm in love." (1995)

"I just want to be liked." (1996)

"Everyone's got a carnation. Where's mine?" (1998)

"I want him. He wants her." (2003)

"Friends - the only love I need." (2005)

"He's gone. Time to let go." (2006)

"It's snowing. I need a drink." (2007)

"Wanna do something on Sunday?" "No." (2009)