Rating: G

Valentine's Day and Christmas: people build them up to be something special, something exciting and different but they rarely live up to people's expectations. Since I've been working with Jim, I've been noticing the statistics and they are pretty grim.

More couples fall out or break up during or after Christmas and around February 14th. In fact there are more suicides in January than any other time of the year, due in part to the 'let down' factor and money troubles caused by trying to make Christmas special. People go crazy and then have to face the grim reality. Then you factor in all the lonely people at Christmas, who feel as much if not more alone with all the Valentine hype going on around them.... You can understand why I'm not a big fan of those holidays.

As for Valy Day, you'd think that most cards would be brought by the ladies for their guys, but I've seen more males go soppy around that time of year than your average female.

I admit I've had my share of cards from girlfriends--and at least one from a man. That was hard, letting him down, worse in many ways than letting down a girl. It wasn't because I'm straight--God knows, I've not walked the straight and narrow for years--but he was so earnest and painfully hopeful...

So I'm anti holidays... until this year.

I found a card propped up on my desk at MC. It wasn't especially romantic, no cutesy hearts and flowers, no lace and sweet little cartoon animals, this one just had a red rose on the front. Inside was a message "I think we've danced around long enough, don't you? I'd really like to do some other form, some of it horizontal. What do you say? I'm ready to take that trip--if you are still interested?"