Here we go again. With our beloved 14th of February just round the corner, as with any other year, marketing strategies of all sorts of products target couples, and online articles promoting ideal concepts of “romance” sprout out everywhere. Coupled with picture-perfect documentations of couples making out, self-proclaimed “Forever Alones” wallow in self-pity in the form of hourly Twitter updates. Isn’t Valentine’s Day such chaos?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not upset because my significant other is not the romantic type who will turn up with an ostentatious bouquet of fresh flowers, and neither do I pity my single friends. Rather, I feel conflicted on Valentine’s Day – should I follow the crowd and worship the heavily commercialized Valentine’s Day or should I “punish” myself for being attached and isolate myself from the “Forever Alones” in a bid to prove that I know how they feel?
Like most years, I’m not going to be a Valentine on Valentine’s Day.
Rather, I don’t wait for Valentine’s Day to be a Valentine. Somehow, the title of being a Valentine empowers you to do something special for your loved one. If you spend the year waiting for that one day to excite your love life, it’s time to reflect. Recently, there was a viral Facebook post about Mr Desperado offering a “part-time job” to anyone who was willing to be his “girlfriend” this Valentine’s Day. That’s silly, you laugh. It just proves the power of and pressure from Valentine’s Day.
Too many a times, couples are compelled to splurge and have a blast on Valentine’s Day because… everyone’s doing it. Famous bloggers (it’s Dayre now) from all over will soon be writing about their romantic Valentine’s Day escapism. Instagram tells it all – Luxurious dinners at fancy restaurants, setting off fireworks at Sentosa (is that even legal?), a staycation at Shangri-La Hotel… I know I’ve exaggerated a bit but the list is endless and very expensive.
Can’t you see you’ll falling prey into this trap set by consumerism? Greed to have The Best Valentine’s Experience and peer pressure from fellow members of the Instagram community fuel your choices. I don’t mean you shouldn’t strive to fulfill your fairy-tale endings but I’m pretty sure you can be economical and practical about being a Valentine. Call me old-fashioned but handwritten post-it notes that say “Hope you’ll have a great day at school!” or even rewarding your loved one with a personal back massage will surely do the trick. And most certainly, all these little declarative acts of “love” do not have to be done on Valentine’s Day right? Plus, it’s just Valentine’s Day – no big deal.
Just like any other year, I’m not going to be a Valentine on Valentine’s Day because it’s cliché, conventional and crowded. Spend the Valentine’s Day with your friends celebrating your intimate friendship instead, or better still, spend it quietly and independently catching up with your favourite drama series. Yes, it’s a time for Cupids to work and lovers to profess their love for each other. But c’mon it’s 2014 and for a change, let’s not be a valentine on Valentine’s Day… because why should you?