Love In The Air

We just got past February 14 a while ago. The things that this date brings up are quite disparate in nature. Some people find it a time for love. Others find it a time for mini revolutions against the capitalist machine that is Hallmark. Some guys like me find it six days out from the Playstation 4 announcement. But everyone can identify it as Valentine's Day. Now what does that day mean to me?
   I have a story to recount.
   I want to say it was 1999, and I was really bad at romance etc. I had my eye on a lady we shall call...C. C was in pretty much all my after school classes, and I was very taken with her. I made up my mind that I was going to get her something for Valentine's Day, and I got a scented rose and some other small gift, I think it was a bear. Now, school was over at 2:05 pm, but class began at 3. The plan was that I would approach her in a private manner as she came over, before class and the public setting could override the plan, and present them to her. Man makes plans......
   Flash to 1 pm. I am in English Lit class with two of my best friends Chris and Niko, and they start in on me about C, because they know that is my lady of choice. Niko makes a comment about her head being really big and laughs. I laugh because I know he is only saying this to get to me, and yet, I have to make some gesture to show that I will not stand for such blasphemy! So, manipulated by the social and moral codes, I chase him out of the classroom - into the chest of the vice principal. Guys....I honestly cannot remember the last time I weighed under 180, and I was FLYING out of that room. So we made contact in a pretty decisive way. He adjusted his glasses and immediately said "Detention!"
   Normally, this would be a groan worthy sentence. I would go, do detention and get out around 3, maybe 330. Today, however..I could not afford the setback. I had to modify the plan. I knew another friend, Nicholas, who I could trust to be my emissary in this case while I went to detention. I gave it to him and went, thinking that it would not be that bad, and with sufficient numbers we could knock this out. You see, detention at our school was to clean the classrooms, as the dean figured that mere studying would not be enough to humble us. It worked to a degree, but then not much works after a certain age. So I go to detention, everyone else has the common sense to dodge it, so I am working alone. No pity from the dean, as I did just go all Juggernaut on the VP. So I'm sweeping, people from my class start wandering over.
"Nice flower!"
Heart stops. What is going on?
Eventually I figure out what happened. Nick had to leave, so he just left everything on the desk she usually sat in. Well before anyone had even started to come into the classroom, including her. Well....so much for privacy. Now everyone knows. And they make it known for my entire detention. I can take the laughter, that's fine, but my thoughts are consumed with C. Will she think this was mockery? Did I just screw up majorly?
Eventually I get out of detention at 4, show up in class looking like I went nine rounds with Taz, and sit far away from anyone else. C is there, but definitely not looking at me. Spirits low, I leave directly after class for juice and she calls me over.
"Thank you for the rose and the bear...that was really nice of you, you didn't have to do that," she says, looking at me. Down the corridor I see some of my friends peering through the class doorway.
"Well, you deserve it."
"YOU DESERVE IT? Nice lines, Casanova," my brain screams.
The very next class we had she brought me candy, and a note saying "You deserve it."


Now, this is what I remember usually on February 14. I don't force these stories down anyone's throat, and I cut a lot of detail off of that memory as is. The reactions I get are usually along one of these lines.
"I can't believe you of all people are part of the marketing machine for Single Awareness Day aka Hallmark Day! Keep all that lovey dovey stuff to yourself."
"Oh my gosh that is so sweet! I've been thinking all day of what my boyfriend will get me! It better be something amazing!"
"Yeah yeah that's fine. Now you have to help me think of something to get my girl. She's expecting something amazing!"

The reality is that you should not need a day to act upon the fact that you are with someone you like/love/are infatuated with. The year consists of 365 days, and if only Valentine's, birthday and Christmas are the ones you treat someone special, then you're doing it wrong. Too many people get that chocolate and foot rub or whatever on that one day only. If you are doing it on 2/14, that's fine. Great. Just don't let it be the only time.
The reality also includes the fact that people not in relationships feel extra pressure to find someone to be with on this day, which should not be. Societal pressure to feel attraction to someone cannot, I repeat CANNOT end well. There is nothing wrong with being single, and a lot of times it beats the hell out of being with someone you hate. It goes back to how often we pay attention to the lives of others instead of our own. Seeing movies like The Notebook and *insert Lifetime Channel schedule here* should just be for entertainment, and not to blueprint life. Art should ideally imitate life.

Now to wait for PS4....