Thursday, February 15, 2007

Garage flowers, emergency wine & last minute cards

Yesterday, I travelled to Bristol and back for work. During the course of my journey, I saw so many men clutching pathetic bunches of flowers, clearly bought in train stations or garages. Then in the supermarket near home, there was a man desparately searching the few remaining cards for the least inappropriate one for his wife and several others panic-buying wine. This is not romantic.
As we do every year, we stayed in with some good food and a bottle of champagne. We exchanged cards and small gifts too. I don't really like Valentine's day but not enough to do nothing.

The cynical part of me does think its just an excuse dreamt up by card manufacturers, florists and restauranteurs. But really I think my cynisim is born more out of my idealism. It shouldn't be like the scenes I witnessed yesterday. Romance should be spontaneous, the gestures should be personal. Inside this cynic, I really do think there is a failed romantic.

2 comments:

M said...

Valentines Day is way too much unneccessary pressure. Another day where expectations are set up to be disappointed. And so soon after all that pressure at Christmas!

Valentines Day is probably more fun when you're single and unattached, especially if a little surprise shows up!

It's all about the expectations, isn't it.

SandDancer said...

Our news is always full of stories about the level personal debt we are in and too many people do feel under pressure to buy increasingly lavish gifts at Christmas and Valentine's Day when they can't afford it. Its sad really as a small thoughtful gift or a little gesture of some kind are often so much better.