I never could figure out Valentine's Day. When I was a little kid, we exchanged cheap cards in class. That was about it. On one level, I am a deeply romantic man. I believe in true love, quests, promises that cannot be defeated even by death. The last Sunday of each year, I put a big bouquet of flowers on the altar for our anniversary (roses and Christmas greens) and bring it home. I used to write really awful poetry for/to my wife. But on another level, Valentine's Day seems like another faux holiday with a required response. Perfectly sensible people suddenly say, "Oh, we can't do that on that day -- it's Valentine's Day! -- as if they were really going to go do something terribly special they couldn't do any other day. And it seems to me that most lovers/spouses would prefer somebody who showed love and respect and thoughtfulness every day, rather than just this one day a year. So here is my declaration: I am a true Romantic, and my love is constrained by neither calendar nor clock.