Monday, February 16, 2004
Valentine's Day has come and gone, and well, no visible scars, be they physical or emotional. I don't feel any worse off, and I suppose that's a good thing. It's kinda weird though, on hindsight. Valentine's Day used to mean a lot to me in the past, whether I was single or attached. Then again, I used to believe differently in a lot of things in the past. These days, it's just another reason for me to avoid town or any other potentially cosy spots. Eerily, everyone decides that they have to be a little more affectionate, or a little more "lovey-dovey" in a disgustingly sweet saccharine sorta way. Why saccharine instead of sugary? Well, saccharine isn't real sugar, and overwhelming displays of affection doesn't really equate to real love.
The way I see it, it's kinda like how those Courtesy Campaigns here go about. After that week of feeling obligated to be polite to the people around them ('cause we all know how self-conscious the average Singaporean can be), Singaporeans decide that they've met their quota for the year, and with their conscience cleansed, can go back to being the inconsiderate money-grubbing types this society has shaped them to be.
If you ask me, what it should be all about is to serve as a reminder. After being in a relationship with someone you sincerely care for, life's worries will eventually distract you from each other. Come Valentine's, it's a good time to reflect, right? See whether or not your better half has been neglected or taken for granted because of everything else you've been focusing your attention on, and use it as an opportunity to show that you still do care. Don't decide to show some form of love and affection because you feel obliged to, because, at the end of the day, that's what Valentine's Day has become. An obligation. And though I no longer feel as strongly for it as I used to, I still remember what it used to mean to me...
And so, on that note, ends another entry. I don't know. Maybe when I fall into another relationship, at the same time, I'll fall into the same trap everyone else has seems to have fallen into. Valentine's Day next year is quite a while away. Who knows what can change in a year eh? :)
The way I see it, it's kinda like how those Courtesy Campaigns here go about. After that week of feeling obligated to be polite to the people around them ('cause we all know how self-conscious the average Singaporean can be), Singaporeans decide that they've met their quota for the year, and with their conscience cleansed, can go back to being the inconsiderate money-grubbing types this society has shaped them to be.
If you ask me, what it should be all about is to serve as a reminder. After being in a relationship with someone you sincerely care for, life's worries will eventually distract you from each other. Come Valentine's, it's a good time to reflect, right? See whether or not your better half has been neglected or taken for granted because of everything else you've been focusing your attention on, and use it as an opportunity to show that you still do care. Don't decide to show some form of love and affection because you feel obliged to, because, at the end of the day, that's what Valentine's Day has become. An obligation. And though I no longer feel as strongly for it as I used to, I still remember what it used to mean to me...
And so, on that note, ends another entry. I don't know. Maybe when I fall into another relationship, at the same time, I'll fall into the same trap everyone else has seems to have fallen into. Valentine's Day next year is quite a while away. Who knows what can change in a year eh? :)
