Valentine's Day?

[NikF4]

Is it still a thing or is it now considered old hat/passe? Do young people exchange cards? Are there any older gents who send flowers to their wife/partner? And the idea of anonymously admiring someone from afar and stating it in a card - is that sweet or is it now deemed a creepy stalkerish I'm calling the cops hate crime? Do tell.

[Alek Hidell]

Oh, it's still a thing where I live for sure. And my wife will be getting flowers from me tomorrow, as she does every Valentine's Day. I'm 53, so I don't know if that makes me an "older gent" or not (sometimes I'm prepared to bristle at the notion, other times nod in decisive agreement ).

As far as the anonymous "secret admirer" part, though - it may indeed lean toward the creepy/stalkerish a bit (i.e., is perceived as such). I haven't seen it happen very often.

[NikF4]

Cheers, Alex. Yeah, I can imagine that for certain couples to send cards and/or flowers it's still the most natural and warm thing in the world, if only because they grew up with it and what it represents.
In any case, I hope your wife enjoys her flowers and you both enjoy the day. 

[Mirror Image]

I'm thinking about sending a woman at work tomorrow a 'secret admirer' bouquet of flowers. I'm not sure how she'll respond as I think she's rather inexperienced with the opposite sex (she's 25, but seems rather sheltered) and, of course, I'm older than her (will be 37 in March), but, what can I say, I'm a horn dog.

Edit: Or I could just sit home and do this...

Pinky: What are we going to do tonight?
Brain: Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Stay home and listen to Debussy.

[amw]

And the idea of anonymously admiring someone from afar and stating it in a card - is that sweet or is it now deemed a creepy stalkerish I'm calling the cops hate crime? Do tell.

as always, depends on how you word the card. "we don't know each other that well but I think you're really nice/beautiful/whatever and if you want to get coffee sometime heres my number" is somewhat different from "I've been watching you through your bedroom window for 3 years and think you must have been my wife in a past life"

[NikF4]

as always, depends on how you word the card. "we don't know each other that well but I think you're really nice/beautiful/whatever and if you want to get coffee sometime heres my number" is somewhat different from "I've been watching you through your bedroom window for 3 years and think you must have been my wife in a past life"

You're right. And sadly there are guys out there for who consider the latter example not only natural, but also romantic. They don't get it at all. As ever, I think it's down to lack of experience - not just with women, but generally in social matters - which is a pity.

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Is it still a thing or is it now considered old hat/passe? Do young people exchange cards? ...

D*ck pics. Really, I see a fair number of articles online about how to protect your nude selfies and texts, because of course, EVERYONE takes them and sends them. Um, not me, ever in a zillion years. Of course I'm an old fart (40+) and have been happily married for over 20 years.

First of all, unless you're totally clueless, you should realize that any and all electronic communications can and will be seen instantly by every single human alive on the planet.

Second of all, I'm not (just) an old fart dissing the younger generation. I teach millenials and younger students (born as recently as 2000), and I LIKE the younger geneartions a lot! My own generation, Generation X was shite IMO.

Third of all, I have a couple wires crossed in my brain, because I often call Valentine's Day "Thankgiving" for some bizarre reason. Strangely enough, I've met another couple of people who say the exact same thing!

Fourth of all, yes, I buy my wife flowers and other gifts, a nice card, and we always go to dinner--although we are putting it off until Friday this year...

Had enough? 

[NikF4]

D*ck pics. Really, I see a fair number of articles online about how to protect your nude selfies and texts, because of course, EVERYONE takes them and sends them. Um, not me, ever in a zillion years. Of course I'm an old fart (40+) and have been happily married for over 20 years.

First of all, unless you're totally clueless, you should realize that any and electronic communication can and will be seen instantly by every single human alive on the planet.

Second of all, I'm not an old fart dissing the younger generation. I teach millenials and younger students (born as recently as 2000), and I LIKE the younger geneartions a lot! My own generation, Generation X was shite IMO.

THird of all, I have a couple wires crossed in my brain, because I often call Valentine's Day "Thankgiving" for some bizarre reason. STrangely enough, I've met another couple of people who say the exact same thing!

Fourth of all, yes, I buy my wife flowers and other gifts, a nice card, and we always go to dinner--although we are putting it off until Friday this year...

Good stuff, mate. 

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Here:

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Good stuff, mate. 

Thanks mate! We need to get together for a Guinness!

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

Here:

I think the "old" one is more creepy.

[Ghost of Baron Scarpia]

In college I sent a fellow a student an anonymous valentine, mainly to see if she would guess that it was me. Heard nothing. Some time later (maybe a week) I saw her and casually asked, "did you ever find out who sent you that valentine?" "No clue," she said. Oh well.

It didn't occur to her to wonder how I knew she had received the anonymous valentine, but I am thinking now, maybe it did. 

[XB-70 Valkyrie]

Well...he does kinda look like a young Republican.

[NikF4]

Thanks mate! We need to get together for a Guinness!

Definitely. 

[NikF4]

I'm thinking about sending a woman at work tomorrow a 'secret admirer' bouquet of flowers. I'm not sure how she'll respond as I think she's rather inexperienced with the opposite sex (she's 25, but seems rather sheltered) and, of course, I'm older than her (will be 37 in March), but, what can I say, I'm a horn dog.

Edit: Or I could just sit home and do this...

Pinky: What are we going to do tonight?
Brain: Same thing we do every night, Pinky. Stay home and listen to Debussy.

I understand you're not asking for advice, so this is just me thinking aloud. 

In the past I've dated women I work with, but only because we worked together for an afternoon or day at a time. If it had been regular every day work colleagues I probably wouldn't.
As for the secret admirer stuff, I never do that. amw puts it well "we don't know each other that well but I think you're really nice/beautiful/whatever and if you want to get coffee sometime heres my number" - and if possible, I'd say it rather than send it.

But this year I'm neither saying or sending anything. Three years ago a long term relationship ended and despite dating and having flings it's only in the past six months or so I've really felt like getting on with things. And apparently I've still enough charm to occasionally have women approach me, but I'm in no hurry and so Valentine stuff can wait.

Anyway, if you ask her out I hope it goes well.

[NikF4]

In college I sent a fellow a student an anonymous valentine, mainly to see if she would guess that it was me. Heard nothing. Some time later (maybe a week) I saw her and casually asked, "did you ever find out who sent you that valentine?" "No clue," she said. Oh well.

It didn't occur to her to wonder how I knew she had received the anonymous valentine, but I am thinking now, maybe it did. 

Come on, she'll have known it was you before you even mentioned it. And she'll have told her friends. 

[71 dB]

For me Valentine's Day has never been a thing...

[pjme]

+1

I don't mind "sweet love and a good dose of sentimentality". But (cfr. Halloween) Valentine has become an agressive and kitschy vehicle for commercial excesses.
Sigh...and supermarkets are already selling Easter chocolates! Grumble, sigh....

[NikF4]

+1

I don't mind "sweet love and a good dose of sentimentality". But (cfr. Halloween) Valentine has become an agressive and kitschy vehicle for commercial excesses.
Sigh...and supermarkets are already selling Easter chocolates! Grumble, sigh....

That's one of the reasons I asked about the popularity, because there seemed to be less a selection of valentine stuff in the shops this year.

Anyway, the post hasn't been delivered yet and so a deluge might still happen. Also, I'll keep an eye out for the florist because twice in the past I've received flowers from a woman. And it's just a pity the weather's cloudy today and so any biplane skywriting or trailing a banner with a message of how beloved I am will go unseen.   
But the end of the day will probably see me sitting alone and dressed in a yellow waistcoat while whistling the andante from Brahms piano quartet No. 3. 

[Rinaldo]

Never been a thing here in Czech Republic until recent years, when it started to slowly creep into our culture as well. I don't mind the instagram generation adopting it, but the kitsch factor is through the roof and as a 30+ guy, I'm pretty comfortable with our own celebration of all things romantic – the 1st of May, when you're supposed to kiss your significant other under a blossoming cherry tree, so your love doesn't dry out.

There's even an epic poem from one of our promiment romantic poets, that begins like this:

Late evening, on the first of May—
The twilit May—the time of love.
Meltingly called the turtle-dove,
Where rich and sweet pinewoods lay.
Whispered of love the mosses frail,
The flowering tree as sweetly lied,
The rose's fragrant sigh replied
To love-songs of the nightingale.

And so on.