V

[j4]

Damn, I wasn't going to do this, because I didn't expect to get any -- partly because I didn't send any -- but:

Card, signed. Unexpected but much appreciated, thank you very lovely person.

Card, anonymous. Contained a chocolate heart. Also unexpected, and also appreciated, thank you other lovely person... but I'd love to know you are! (I really don't get the anonymity thing.)

One-word SMS. Does that count? I think it does. <smile>

Comments

[lnr]

Was it a chocolate heart on a stick with the words "Guess who?" on it?

[simont]

I was going to ask the same thing!

(I can understand anonymity if the card is confessing to seriously strong feelings - if nothing else one can simply be scared to come out and say it - but if it says nothing more controversial than "you're really nice, have some chocolate" then I'd like to know who to thank...)

Re:

[lnr]

I love the ambiguity of people wondering if I said that because I also received one, or if I sent it ;-)

Obviously my handwriting is not a dead giveaway then.

Re:

[j4.livejournal.com]

Oh, I see. :-) I did think it looked a bit like your writing, & you were one of the people I suspected, but I wasn't sure!

So, thank you again, and you're lovely too. :-) *kiss*

[simont]

It didn't even occur to me that you might have posted that because you'd sent them! I think I must have assumed that because it was unsigned and had "guess who" written all over it, the person who sent it would be unlikely to be owning up in the near future, on the principle that they either wanted me to know or they didn't and I knew which it looked like :-)

But in that case, thank you :-)

Re:

[j4.livejournal.com]

I even less understand anonymity if you're confessing to really strong feelings. What's the point of saying it at all if the person doesn't know who it's coming from? Possible scenarios when they get this card full of strong feelings are:

a) they know it's you, and there's no point in being anonymous, or
b) they have absolutely no idea who it is, in which case what have you achieved by telling them your feelings? or
c) they don't suspect you & they think it's somebody else, in which you'll potentially be badly hurt when they bounce at you and tell you how happy they are because they think X sent them this wonderful message of undying love, or
d) they'll suspect more than one person, including you, in which case they'll be confused, and they won't know how to behave around any of the people they suspect, and
e) d00m.

The card was very sweet though. :) Sorry, I didn't mean to sound unappreciative, I've wandered off into hypothetical d00m-laden situations now.

[simont]

Entirely agreed on all counts; but I did send an anonymous V-day card once in my murky past. The reason, essentially, was that I'd been bottling up my strong feelings for a rather ridiculously long time and felt as if I'd burst if I didn't do something about them, but at the same time I was terrified to actually come out and say anything identifiable (which, as it turned out, was later justified by what happened when I did).

In other words, the desirable effects of sending an anonymous V-card were its effects on me, and I don't think I even thought it through as far as wondering how she would feel about it. (I was a terribly self-centred teenager at the time, I'll readily admit. And a pillock.)

Some time after I sent it, I did think it through from her point of view, and I think I reached pretty much the same set of conclusions you've listed above, so I don't think I'd ever do it again...

Re:

[angoel.livejournal.com]

With regards to (b), they will feel touched that somebody has sent them a card - even if that person doesn't feel confident enough to tell them now, at least someone cares.

But then, I've never received a valantines day card, anonymous or otherwise, so I wouldn't really know.

Re:

[angoel.livejournal.com]

But then, I've never received a valantines day card, anonymous or otherwise, so I wouldn't really know.

Signed

Bitter and twisted Valantines Day reject

Re:

[vyvyan.livejournal.com]

c) they don't suspect you & they think it's somebody else, in which you'll potentially be badly hurt when they bounce at you and tell you how happy they are because they think X sent them this wonderful message of undying love

The one anonymous Valentine's Day card I remember sending had this result :-) The recipient (a girl at my school) began going out with some random bloke she knew as a consequence!

Re:

[j4.livejournal.com]

I even less understand anonymity if you're confessing to really strong feelings. What's the point of saying it at all if the person doesn't know who it's coming from? Possible scenarios when they get this card full of strong feelings are:

a) they know it's you, and there's no point in being anonymous, or
b) they have absolutely no idea who it is, in which case what have you achieved by telling them your feelings? or
c) they don't suspect you & they think it's somebody else, in which you'll potentially be badly hurt when they bounce at you and tell you how happy they are because they think X sent them this wonderful message of undying love, or
d) they'll suspect more than one person, including you, in which case they'll be confused, and they won't know how to behave around any of the people they suspect, and
e) d00m.

The card was very sweet though. :) Sorry, I didn't mean to sound unappreciative, I've wandered off into hypothetical d00m-laden situations now.

Re:

[j4.livejournal.com]

Yes!

When I first read this I thought you meant you'd sent it, but then I saw Simon's followup, so does this mean you (and he) both got one as well?

Confused now!