I think the title of this post is an oxymoron in itself! I mean man is associated with macho things like sports, fighting and strength. The day in itself is enveloped around the notorious “L” word! We as men love beer, brats and ball! Don’t get me wrong we love women…but the “L” word puts a serious overtone on things. Those Bud Light commercials that have the men easily saying that they love their beer all the while having trouble saying that they love the woman that they are involved with is a budding real life assessment. Men are capable of loving anything but the “L” word puts things in a certain context that is menacing to our Manhood! Ladies I think that you should revel in the presence of a man that has a problem saying that he loves you. The guy that can throw that word into the air as frivolously as he can the request for another beer from the fridge is the one to be leery of! If he has a problem saying he loves you then that means that when and if he finally says it you will know it is the genuine truth!

When you are in a relationship the almighty holiday of love now becomes a measuring stick of love. It is different for men then it is for women. Walgreens has a commercial out now showing the pressure on males of shopping and getting the right gift or even right amount of gifts. Our love is often judged by what we do on Valentine’s Day. Man by nature is an entity that says what we mean when women on the other hand are set by a different watch maker.  For example: A man can tell you that he loves you a million times over and if he is acting like an jerk it means nothing at all. Women on the other hand may never say that they love a man but he is supposed to know because she shows her love in actions. Hence why men get frustrated as they feel as if women expect them to be mind readers and special bulletin: We’re not! This is why Valentine’s Day becomes such a stressful job. Men are now under the gun to find the perfect gifts to represent the Love that they have for their lady. Money is perpetually spent annually on the perfect set of gifts to show the love that should be shown all year. How does this one day encompass an entire relationship? Well to be honest this is a day where men have to cross the lines of what a makes man a man and a woman a woman! Men are now required to show their love on this day through their actions.

Men have no problems showing the emotions of anger, excitement and joy. But the feeling of love is an emotion that opens up the soul of a man. Once the soul is open the man becomes vulnerable and this leaves them open for emotions that they are not readily capable of handling such as sadness or embarrassment. Often times instead of laying it on the line and taking on this high risk high reward task, most men would rather avoid the entire situation.  On Valentine’s Day however we are required to take this risk. Men must do their best as their efforts will be compared and contrasted by their women with that of the fantastically embellished stories that they will hear from their friends and colleagues! This day can be as simple as a private self cooked candlelit dinner to an extravagant cruise and vacation with an engagement ring! But no matter the materialistic value of the day it is supposed to be about the effort, intention and the feelings created!

For the monogamous man this can be a very intense and eye popping day. But the “Playa” has a more daunting task of splitting time and funds to satisfy all in his concubine! Whether a part of the righteous men of the world or the worldly men of society; the role of the man on Valentine’s Day is definitely a stressful one. Yet the truth of the matter is that it can be very satisfying to please the lady you love and it is a small price to pay for the happiness that she should be bringing you every day. And hopefully this special day will pale in comparison to the other 364 days of the year!