Uh-oh…Valentine's Day is this Friday!

*Please read the following DISCLAIMER before venturing any further into this essay! 

In this essay I will be using stereotypes about men and women, to which I hope no one will take offense. The stereotypes are not only for comedic effect, but also for simplicity. In addition, I will use the abbreviation “S.O.” for the term “significant other” just for the heck of it.

Valentine’s Day is galloping ever closer, throwing fear into some men concerned about buying the appropriate gift for their S.O., and anticipation into the women hoping to receive said gift.

Men have a lot on their plates during this holiday. First, they need to remember it. More importantly, as every other commercial on television makes painfully clear, jewelry is the only appropriate Valentine’s Day gift.

In a commercial by a well-known jeweler, we see a naive young man proudly showing his buddies the sequined, personalized football jersey that he bought for his S.O. His expression melts into sheepishness as they shake their heads at each other, explaining to him that essentially, his gift stinks. As he folds up the shirt, they wisely suggest that the only appropriate gift is jewelry. Indeed, at the end of the commercial, when his S.O. opens the new and improved gift, her reaction confirms this notion.

Now let me be perfectly clear! I like jewelry as much as the next woman, but I would also love a sequined, personalized football jersey or a nice 8 gallon Shop-Vac®!

It truly is the thought that counts, but to the men who have dared to think outside the jewelry box this year I'd like to exclaim, “Don’t second-guess yourselves!” I firmly believe that traditional gift-givers, as well as the quirky, can live together in harmony.