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| Valentine's Day, a Peek inside Us |
"It's a Hallmark holiday," claim the skeptics. It would help if you had a card, a present, a meal in a restaurant. You're obliged to spend, spend, spend.
But Valentine's Day precedes consumerism, corporations, greeting cards, civilization, and even Christianity. It is an expression of what it is to be human. While everyday pressures squeeze the romance out of life, Valentine's day is an island of corny indulgence in a giant sea of cynicism.
One early attempt at valentine romance saw me commit several days to prepare. Roses, a three-course meal, as exotic as a slightly green eighteen-year-old could muster, and on top of that, a singing waiter (an extroverted mate dressed up) to serve the food.
In retrospect, the menu was bizarre. Raw cauliflower and carrots with mayonnaise and curry powder dip. A slightly watery stir-fried rice dish (I didn't have a filter to strain the rice). This was laced with an over-generous helping of chili peppers; all teenage boys first learn to cook with chili peppers, for dessert, strawberries and bananas with a chocolate dip. Ah, the deep hormonal motivations of eighteen-year-old boys. Everything was in place, and my mate, the singing waiter, completed my love trap.