This marks post 285. If I am diligent enough I think I can hit 300 by year's end. 16 posts in 18 days (including this one), it can be done!
I don't know why but every time the 14th of the month comes around I feel like there's something I'm supposed to remember. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because 4 months out of the year there significance to the 14th- Valentine's Day, Flag Day, the Un-Valentine's Day (which is not a day for spreading hate for those of you who weren't with us when I declared it a holiday in August), and Joe's birthday. Speaking of Valentine's day, Nicole & I decided that we needed to write a dating book since we decided that in addition to our stellar party planning skills we also have great ideas for dates. Sadly when we talked to a couple of guys at church on Sunday night they were completely resistant to some of our brilliant ideas. Regardless I will post them here because I still like them. Now I just gotta find a guy who agrees with me and I'm set. ;)
Valentine's Day - now it must be said that neither Nicole or I are that big on Valentine's day by which I mean we have no desire to go to some crowded fancy restaurant in the middle of February. Instead we think it would be fabulous to have pizza by candlelight. The thing that's great about this date is it's cute and fun and still romantic without being stupidly expensive or ridiculous. You could also pick out some great music and then just slow dance in the living room. It still takes planning and effort, but it's low stress and hopefully fun for both of you. And if she likes dancing but you feel like an idiot doing it, you don't have to worry about getting embarassed in front of a bunch of people. And for me personally, my birthday falls just 5 days later and I'd much rather have him make a big deal out of that.
Okay that's the only one I'm going to give you for right now. I may post more later, but we'll see. The bottom line of the Azina & Nicole dating strategy is to be creative.
I don't know why but every time the 14th of the month comes around I feel like there's something I'm supposed to remember. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because 4 months out of the year there significance to the 14th- Valentine's Day, Flag Day, the Un-Valentine's Day (which is not a day for spreading hate for those of you who weren't with us when I declared it a holiday in August), and Joe's birthday. Speaking of Valentine's day, Nicole & I decided that we needed to write a dating book since we decided that in addition to our stellar party planning skills we also have great ideas for dates. Sadly when we talked to a couple of guys at church on Sunday night they were completely resistant to some of our brilliant ideas. Regardless I will post them here because I still like them. Now I just gotta find a guy who agrees with me and I'm set. ;)
Valentine's Day - now it must be said that neither Nicole or I are that big on Valentine's day by which I mean we have no desire to go to some crowded fancy restaurant in the middle of February. Instead we think it would be fabulous to have pizza by candlelight. The thing that's great about this date is it's cute and fun and still romantic without being stupidly expensive or ridiculous. You could also pick out some great music and then just slow dance in the living room. It still takes planning and effort, but it's low stress and hopefully fun for both of you. And if she likes dancing but you feel like an idiot doing it, you don't have to worry about getting embarassed in front of a bunch of people. And for me personally, my birthday falls just 5 days later and I'd much rather have him make a big deal out of that.
Okay that's the only one I'm going to give you for right now. I may post more later, but we'll see. The bottom line of the Azina & Nicole dating strategy is to be creative.
Comments
do you think that it was a guy's idea to make Valentine's day really expensive? In fact, do you think Valentine's day was really a guy's idea at all?
I'm not saying that it was the idea of women, but when the card companies said, "hey, we just created this holiday that will monetarily hose your boyfriends, husbands, cousins that you have strange feelings for if they participate in it and will emotionally and relationally hose them if they don't" I didn't hear anyone of the female persuasion stand up and say, "that's a pretty freaking stupid idea."
Let me start by saying that what I like best is to be made to feel special, be it Valentine's Day or my birthday or Tuesday. I would argue that that's what most women really want - from significant others, from friends, from other women. Somehow, somewhere, influenced by countless societal and cultural events, that has become horribly skewed, and we have arrived where we are today. Your choices today are outlandishly expensive (and often hideous) jewelry, or a Lexus with a giant garish red bow on top. If you really love her, you'll get both, and take her to the most expensive restaurant in town.
The reason I say it can't all be blamed on women is because I think it's really a symptom of distance from God on the part of men and women (as a whole, culturally). Women would know they are special if they had a relationship with Jesus (although a little attention from the other people as mentioned before never hurts!) and men would treat women as though they are special...loving their wives as Christ loves the Church. (That doesn't apply just to husbands, but I think you get my point.)
All that to say, I think women who expect expensive jewelry or the like are actually insecure and are searching for their self-worth in things. And the people who give them those things validate them...whether or not the gift-giver actually believes in the worth of said woman. (I could go on, but that would lead to another discussion altogether.) But the reason they search for self-worth in expensive things is because, like I said, they likely don't have a relationship with Jesus, and also because they are not treated (by men or others) like they have any self-worth.
Okay, cultural psych lesson is finished.