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

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!