Ahhhh—a day for celebrating love. I always thought Valentine’s Day was for everyone not just for romantic love. I think of it as a good chance to show affection for family, friends, colleagues and pets.
Hopefully you have good memories of a special Valentine and all the warm feelings that go with that. I’ve had some really nice moments — great surprises — floral deliveries — meaningful gifts or a great love note but then there were a few that didn’t quite make the grade although I certainly do remember them.
Please don’t find me too critical but the Valentine’s Day where my boyfriend gave me shampoo and crème rinse didn’t really warm the cockles of my heart. You may say “he was practical” but I said “cheap and not creative”.
What was he insinuating about my hair?
I had a date once who suggested that when we went to dinner we should both drive separate cars so that when we were done, he could get right onto Highway 400 and head back to Toronto without bringing me the two blocks home. You can imagine how that night didn’t end!
There was the time when I was excited to open a Valentine card and wanted to see what kind of words my love had chosen. The verse was fine. Then, came the signature. He signed his first and last name. We had been married for three years at the time!!!!
I had an intense high school romance that has never completely fizzled. I had always wondered “what if” but in recent years some chilly water has been tossed on the remaining embers.
I have saved every card and letter this guy ever sent me and I especially treasured one in which he said he had written me a song. He went into great detail about how he wrote it and even threw in some musical terms to tell me what key and tempo it would be played.
I held on to that image for well over 30 years until one night I was watching a special on the band ‘Pink Floyd”. I love Elvis. I didn’t ever listen to Pink Floyd and this is likely exactly what my boyfriend was counting on.
All of a sudden the lyrics of “my” song hit the screen. OMG, I squealed — they are playing the song written about me!!!
Breathe, breathe in the air
Don't be afraid to care
Leave, don't leave me
Walk around and choose your own ground
Long you live and high you fly
Smiles you'll give and tears you'll cry
All you touch and all you see
Is all your life will ever be
(There was more — I only got 2 verses!)
Turns out “Speak to Me/ Breathe” was written by – Waters Mason — and not by a Chatham Ontario lothario to his unquestioning girlfriend!
I felt like such a chump. Its pretty funny now, I guess. Still, I believe in love and in romance. To be safe, I’ll set my own life to music in future.
May your romantic gestures be more genuine.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
