Love . . . Actually?

Well, everyone who knows me knows where I stand on Valentine's Day. Hate it! It's not a real holiday to me; it's an attempt to boost card, candy, and flower sales. Of course, I'm not anti-love, just anti-public displays, particularly ones that turn into attempts to one-up others. People raise their expectations so high that it's easy to get disappointed. Plus, I have too many single friends who feel singled out on this day. Yuck. Valentine's Day is one of the games I refuse to play.

Wes knows I love him. I know he loves me. But we don't celebrate this day because love goes far beyond this day. Love is Wes's taking out the trash and the recycling when I'm busy grading. Love is my mowing the grass when he's swamped out work. Love is taking a break from our professional lives to spend time together. Love is laughing until I struggle for breath over really dumb stuff like doorbells. Love is when I stopped grading last night to watch Two and a Half Men with Wes because the show is more funny when you share it with someone else.

I know lots of people share Valentine's Day cards with friends and family, but I don't get that. I hope everyone has a good Valentine's Day, but I'm not comfortable reminding people of the day. I'm glad it's on a Sunday this year. Maybe it will be a bit calmer. I definitely won't be going out to eat Sunday. In fact, Lindsi, Rebecca, Shane, and I will be returning from a planning retreat on that day, where we will have completely redesigned the Invitational Summer Institute. (So if you have any suggestions for what should go and what should stay, let me hear them? Any assignments that didn't work for you? Any assignments we should add? Keep Gallagher? Move the ISI off campus? We're open to suggestions, and we'll have email access over the weekend.)

Love actually consists of far more than one day. It's an ongoing commitment to put someone else first whenever possible.

Yeah, I don't really want to talk about love, so I'll talk about something else. What? I don't know. Maybe Superbowl ads? I didn't understand the Jay Leno, David Letterman, Oprah Winfrey spot. What was the significance? Jay Leno was going to talk about it last night, but we turned off the television before he did. (A fabulous decision since I am well-rested today despite having graded eighteen English 1102 papers yesterday and fifteen reading responses plus having read a new chapter for English 4640)

I missed the new E-Trade commercial. I'll have to watch that on YouTube. In fact, I need to look up all the Superbowl ads since I missed most of them, but I did get to play with Baby Simon at the Superbowl party. I know all the 2009 Fellows are jealous! When I swung him in the air, he giggled, so of course I had to do it again.

Hmm, Superbowl ads isn't working for me as a topic. What else can I try? Maybe I'll just wait and write more when I see what other people write. Responding . . . it's the new writing.