Couples say the unconventional trumps conventional on Valentine's Day

            ST. BONAVENTURE (Feb. 14) – A former business administration graduate student, whose name Professor Jeffrey Peterson could not recall, and the student’s wife once celebrated Valentine’s Day by visiting a store and strolling through the aisles.  Spotting greeting cards, they parted ways.

            After minutes of rummaging, they reunited and exchanged the selected cards. They silently read them and thanked each other with a hug and kiss.

            The former St. Bonaventure University student and his wife returned the cards to their slots and departed together, not spending a penny, said Peterson, the SBU finance department chairman.

            Jackie Bailey, an SBU sophomore education major, liked the way the former student and his wife had celebrated Valentine’s Day.

            “Because they loved each other enough and were both aware of that love, they didn’t find it necessary to prove their love through gifts,” said Bailey. 

            On Valentine’s Day, the second-largest holiday for giving cards, people exchange approximately 141 million cards industry-wide (not including packaged children’s valentines), according to Hallmark.

            The Paper Factory’s Valentine’s Day sales have remained constant from year to year. Cards and merchandise sales always increase around Valentine’s Day for the 176 N. Union St. store in Olean, said a store representative.

            “I hate when people spend so much on Valentine’s Day gifts – especially conventional ones,” said Bailey.

            Bailey said unconventional gifts like scrapbooks and home-cooked dinners will always trump conventional ones like cards, flowers and chocolates.

            “All of the advertisements you see are always guys giving girls expensive gifts like jewelry. You never really see a guy receiving a thoughtful gift from his girlfriend,” said Bailey.

            One year Bailey gave Joe Flannigan, her boyfriend of 2 1/2 years, a picture frame outlined with a quote from the first movie they saw together. Last year she gave him a box encased with a collage of pictures and filled with reasons she loves him.

            Flannigan, a Pennsylvania State University sophomore, never expects anything for Valentine’s Day, especially conventional gifts. He loves Bailey’s unconventional gifts the best because they show a lot of caring, said Flannigan.

            Joanne Kruchten agreed.

            Kruchten, an SBU freshman education major, said she does not expect anything from her boyfriend on Valentine’s Day.

            “If he gets me something, I want it to be from the heart – not really a store,” said Kruchten.

            Emily Tronetti, an SBU junior journalism major, said she expects something simple and cute for Valentine’s Day.

            Tronetti said she usually spends the day with her boyfriend and two other guests – steak and cheesecake.

            “He expects me to make him really good food. Like steak. He is obsessed with steak,” said Tronetti.

            Curtis Robords, Tronetti’s boyfriend of 2 1/2 years, said Valentine’s Day, mainly for women, can be for men on one condition.

            “[If] my girlfriend cooks steak, then it’s a man holiday,” said Robords, an SBU business administration graduate student.

            Just like Robords, Peterson’s wife, Laura, said she usually knows what to expect on Valentine’s Day. 

            One year, her husband of 21 years did not give her the expected roses and champagne, said Laura Peterson, SBU piano and music history lecturer.

            Peterson said his wife loves teddy bears. He picked out a bear, saw its price tag and thought, “I think I wanna sell them, not buy them!”

            That year Peterson said he gave his wife 200 shares of Vermont Teddy Bear Co. stock.

            Laura Peterson said she appreciates Valentine’s Day gifts, but there are other important things.

            “It’s the things he does all the other 364 days of the year. That’s the big stuff,” said Laura Peterson.

            “Showing your significant other you care about them shouldn’t be something you do only once or twice a year,” said Tronetti. “I think it’s sad that people need a holiday to guilt them into doing something special for their partner.”

            Robords writes Tronetti a note before departing for work each morning. In return, she randomly hides notes for him to find, said Tronetti.

            Flannigan said he appreciates every day with Bailey.

            “Valentine’s Day is just a nice reminder of how lucky I am, but every day is like that basically,” said Flannigan.

            Peterson knows his wife’s expectations of him on Valentine’s Day. “I better not forget the day,” he said.