Think back to elementary school in February. The arts and crafts activities for the week have come to a screeching halt and the valentines box is prepped with pink paper, maybe some bows, and it is dripping with colored Elmer’s glue. This little card chest on the front of the desk is screaming donations and love, in a totally non-biased way. Every student gives at least one card to every other student. There is no worry about boys giving cards to boys or boys to girls. It is a harmless display of friendship that seems to be lost once adolescence is reached.What is wrong with saying there is a reason to care about a friend at least one day a year? It is understood that a date and possibly flowers and wine is a requisite for the evening, but sometimes having a night out during the middle of the week is a good thing. A date like that can alleviate the workweek grind and give two people the chance to enjoy the company of one another.
Girls complain about how guys don’t go on traditional dates, so when a guy takes the time to arrange something, even if it is on V-Day, why are they scrutinized for this activity? The opportunity to treat a loved one to a night out should not be seen as a chore but rather embraced. And by having a calendar day where other places of business cater to one’s dating scheme, life gets simpler and more routine.
For instance, Byblos Lebanese Restaurant and Hookah Lounge has a four-course Lebanese dinner and belly-dancing exhibition. Not a bad deal for $69 a couple, and the atmosphere is intimate so the faint smell of passionfruit hookah almost acts as an aphrodisiac. Try achieving that vibe in a dumpy two-bedroom apartment while watching reruns of Gilmore Girls.
Alas, Valentine’s Day is only one day a year, so why do couples not show their love every day? They do show their love, but not through a commercial medium. The cliches of Valentine’s make for a fun way to shower each other with silly cards, cute teddy bears and those little hearts with the words on them. Traditional random acts of kindness in a relationship are the driving force behind why people are together, and those do not have to be expressed through the Valentine’s Day course of action. But certain things are for V-Day only. Things like a heart-shaped box full of candy and a dozen budding red roses.
Little gifts such as tickets to the Rangers’ for opening day, a tin of one’s favorite coffee grounds or an engagement ring are the presents that are timeless and do not need to be reserved for the Valentine’s cliches.
Today, go out and celebrate. If single life is the current status, call up an old friend and watch a fun movie. If you are in a relationship, appreciate the fact that for one night you can go out for a fancy dinner and not worry about being outclassed. After all, today is the day for couples everywhere.
Christmas brings gifts, Easter brings eggs, Halloween brings orange filled Oreos, so why can’t Valentine’s Day be the one day a year where people celebrate little hearts with words on them?
Sports editor Marcus Murphree is a junior news-editorial journalism major from Beaumont.