Buying Flowers

Something I recently discovered about myself is that I like buying flowers. There is something about buying flowers for a girl that makes my pulse race and the adrenaline run. In part, there is the thrill of putting yourself out there. It is the risk of taking a risk. This is especially true in the beginning stages of the relationship. The flowers could make her day and for a few minutes you get to be a hero. Or the well intentioned gesture could trigger her to shut you down as you attempt to cross that ominous “just friends line” from which there is no return. The interesting thing about flowers is that no matter what the response they will get a response. It is just uncommon today to get or give flowers. It is in the rarity of the gesture that the value is communicated.

In our culture giving or getting flowers tends to bring (and is probably designed to bring) an emotional response. Think about when we buy flowers for people: Weddings, birthdays, funerals and the big one when we are trying to get a girl to notice us as someone more than that guy I know from that one place. It is when we are trying to make an emotional connection to someone that the flowers come into play.

So, today as I stood in the overly crowded Haggen Floral Shop trying to determine which flower would communicate the right thoughts (of I like you and I want you to like me but I don’t want to freak you out. This is a puzzle that can only be solved with help) the thought that motivated me was: “I think you are special and I want you to know it.” I want to know that the action of buying flowers will result in the reaction of her feeling appreciated and noticed. Not to mention I want her to notice me too and to get the above mentioned response. From a logical standpoint there is no real use to cut flowers. They cost a lot and die within a week. If we wanted to be logical a packet of seeds from a food bearing plant and a pot of dirt would be more useful. Buying flowers is not about useful, it is about extravagant. I think that flowers show her that she is costly, that in perusing her we are willing to pay the price.

Part of the battle of manhood (see my blog: to the rescue) is to save the princess and win her heart. Now that we have moved beyond the cave man days of bashing a girl on the head with a club and dragging her off into the sunset. We must peruse her... be creative and risky in the approach and let her know that she is beautiful, special and lovely. Pay the price to be noticed by her and to win her affection. To let her know that she is safe and protected and that she means something to us. Then we will have the chance to ride off into to the sunset with the bride and not a conquest. Flowers are just one way to say it. Nothing makes a guy feel more like a man then buying flowers for the girl he perusing... Something tells me the chase never ends.