Valentine's Day. Last night, I mistakenly went into a "Christian" bookstore to look for a wedding card. Yikes. I just can't take the blend of religion and commercialism. Enjoy-your-retirement cards where the punchline centers on enjoy-your-401k, with a dollar-like president picture on the front. Highly embossed, ribboned monstrosities with verses on the left and blessings on the right.

At the store where we bought the wedding present, Stephen and I were chatting about whether Valentine's Day is celebrated in South Africa (it is). He said it is also celebrated in Latin America, so it must be a worldwide thing. When I mentioned the crackdowns in India, and Stephen asked why, the lady in line behind us chimed in, answering that it's because Valentine's Day is a Christian celebration (or began as Christian). More or less.

Not that I have anything against Valentine's Day in particular. It's just that it's the first major holiday/celebration since I came back from overseas, and the commercialism gets a bit trying after a while. It's amazing how much it permeates America. As soon as I arrived, I found myself looking jealously at the next guy's palm pilot or spiffy laptop, thinking, "Man, I want one of those!" I have to keep reminding myself how unimportant that junk is.

Although I do want a palm pilot...