Printing & Copying

I smell the roses as early as today.

Soon enough, Valentine’s Day will be here. And as I imagine it, quite comically, it’ll be the day when hordes of cupids come raining down from the sky with their bows and arrows ready to gun down any and all unwary targets – turning complete strangers into dumbstruck lovers.

Streets will be filled with all kinds of couples making out. It is love-a-palooza time! Look under any streetlight, under shady trees, under a canopy of stars, between dark alleys, into parked cars with their backseats and rolled-up windows, and there you will find what the celebration is all about.

Yes, that’s how I imagine it to be. And in this waking world, hotels will be booked, tables are reserved, movie-goers are all coupled up, and the most romantic destinations will be flocked to. Not to mention, chocolates boxes, teddy bears, dozens and dozens of flowers, and even greeting cards that are all on demand printing this season of love.

And everything will be red and lovely. Like hearts are red, kisses are red, cheeks are red, short dresses are red, roses are red, and strawberries and all sorts of aphrodisiacs are red.

The sweet, nostalgic thought of Valentines. It’s a crazy love-fest that sweeps everyone off their feet…well, almost.

Either way, what have you got rolled up your sleeves this Valentines for your beau? If you haven’t done the basics, now is the time to do it. By the basics, I meant the things you haven’t done before for your girl or with your girl.  And no, it doesn’t necessarily include a huge “Will you be my Valentine?” billboard nor have the same message scribbled up in the air with an aeroplane doing acrobatics in the sky.

Among all the fanfare, amidst the flowers and chocolates, the simplest things would be to:

1.    Cook her dinner.
2.    Better yet, cook and have a dinner with your parents, where she gets to meet them for the first time.
3.    Hold her hand while listening attentively to her favorite music band or artist.
4.    Buy her a puppy (if she doesn’t have one yet or if she isn’t allergic to them).
5.    Picnic on a rooftop or any place where you can have a great conversation, staying up late till you watch the sunrise together.

The basic works even though it may seem passé. Nothing is as original as doing it for and with the one you love. So go on and get to making your own firsts – be it as big as a balloon ride or as simple as a love letter.