So it's the 15th of February and Valentine's Day has come and gone. How quickly the red and pink go from so chic to so lame. I observe this day as the end of the 3 Romance Months of the Year. It begins with December with the exchanging of gifts with your sigO, then it moves to January with New Year's and exchanging kisses at midnight with your sigO until it finally culminates on Valentine's with an exchange of gifts, kisses and dinner with our sigO. It was a tough one this year, but somehow, somehow I managed to escape the big 3 without any of the above mentioned shenanigans. Probably because I'm single.
I realized something last night though. As long as you're surrounded by someone who can make you laugh and you're out doing something fun, it really doesn't matter if you celebrate a holiday in the traditional sense. (Why do we put this pressure on ourselves?)
I spent the day with my sis. I headed out to her 'hood which requires taking the metro and doing that transfer thing that most of you know drives me insane. It really isn't as bad as I make it out to be, but inevitably I find myself witnessing some spectacle. Yesterday's incidence didn't wait for me to transfer to the orange line, (that's where the craziness usually goes down), it happened right at Cleveland Park.
I realize it's a day to be affectionate and all, but still the rules of the metro still apply. Repeat after me everyone: Walk on the Left/Stand on the Right. I don't care if Cupid's arrow hit you and your sweetie and you want to stand next to each other on the escalator swinging your hands as to create a human barricade, there's a train comin' and I wanna get on.
That was just the beginning though. I saw plenty of hand holding, smooching, back rubbing (my least favorite of them all), and other types of PDA that really should be reserved to spaces that have doors and locks. The best was the couple that played the fake kicking game. (I had to text my friend Karen about this b/c I knew she could visualize what I was watching.) These two young 20-somethings were doing this karate/self defense maneuver where they took turns side kicking each other in the butt. Only they never made contact, they would stop short with the kick but keep the rest of the drama going with the upper body. It was extremely awkward, especially since she was wearing a skirt. I think they thought they were being super cute or a new age rebel Romeo and Juliet. It didn't have that effect on me. The only time kicking is cute is when it involves children under the age of 7 at a soccer game.
Oh, to be young and in love again. Though my evening would not involve kicking matches or back rubs, I was looking forward to it.
My sister and I went to a movie, (I picked), and then we went to dinner, (she picked). There was no obsessing over time schedules, romantic destinations or even outfits. We went out to have fun and we successfully accomplished our mission. We saw, "He's Just Not That In To You", that has more celebrities then I can name. It was excellent advice for any women who are in the dating world. It made me laugh, cry and most importantly it just made me happy. Afterwards we went to dinner at a great restaurant near the theatre, Jackson's. Was it swarming with couples, yes; was it decked out in pink and red balloons, yes; did it feel any different from a normal Saturday night, not at all.
The food was excellent, the conversation was engaging and humorous, and there was no wondering, who's going to pay. Sometimes not living up to the standard of what is expected for a holiday is the best thing we can do for ourselves. Good bye Cupid and Hello St. Patrick!
Work Hard-Play Harder-Laugh the Hardest.
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