SEEING BEYOND VALENTINE’S MANIA

Right after the “Happy Three Kings” celebration, we notice people replacing their Christmas decors with red hearts, ribbons and roses. The restaurants, departments stores and malls have their walls adored with red hearts and lips. The dangling heart decors are displayed ubiquitously. That keeps people reminded that Valentine season is here again.

Valentine’s day or Valentine's Season usually conjures up the picture of flaming romance. Each time we hear the term “valentines”, we immediately perceive the red-colored and heart -shaped objects. The season truly brings much excitement to the couples. The husbands/boyfriends and the wives/girlfriends become preoccupied with their confusing choices on what valentine gift to buy for their partners. Some men are getting odd headache on how to make a special date on a tight budget. Others don’t mind at all in going beyond their credit limits just to win their sweethearts with the most expensive valentine presents and a luxurious dinner date. There are also those who practically spend wisely and just go for gushy love notes, cards, flowers and chocolates.

This love month also puts much pressure on those who are still searching for their long-dreamed partners. We can all of a sudden see those single men and women as well as those who are broken-hearted bloom more on February………….as if, they are trying hard to put on a different aura hoping to capture one’s heart. We observe them posting their shoutout like “Wanted Valentine Date” or “I’m Loveless Now” in friendster, facebook, multiply and in any other net socializing network. Valentine’s season is seemingly keeping them more desperate. As if, anybody without a partner becomes an outcast………….what a pity! Thanks God I have a hubby! LOL!

All hotels, resorts and motels are one of the most high-selling services on February. Room reservations have already been filed weeks before the 14th. Thus, even on the 13th, the “fully-booked” or “no vacancy” note is already posted. Moreover, the flower shops, cake bakers and chocolate shops are on top of the best-selling business industries on this occasion. And most of all, the communication network traffic is inevitable on February 14. That’s why people tend to call and greet their loved ones on the 13th.

The exuding valentine’s exuberance among the teenagers is part of the valentine's mania. For them, the celebration is lackluster without the most awaited prom. The dating and messaging booth as well as the flower delivery services in schools are always there. The red shade on the girls’ cheeks and the paper-white faced boys from the dating booth is one of those fun scenes. The hysterical girls that almost faint over those effusive notes and flowers from their crushes is not a rare drama. A variety of youthful valentine emotions are really in the air………………and undeniably, we can’t help but get carried away by this kind of valentine frenzy.

Many of us are overwhelmed with the extraordinary fun brought about by Valentine’s Day. We are devoured by its temporary craze. We allow ourselves to dwell on the valentine mania alone. We fail to live with the real essence of this season. Yes, valentine’s day only happens once a year, but it doesn’t mean to express our love only on that day. Valentine’s day doesn’t merely mean the joy of sending and receiving flowers, chocolates, expensive jewelries, kissing, dating and so on………but it means a lot deeper than that……………..it doesn’t simply call for valuing and appreciating and giving our hearts to others on Feb. 14, but it inspires us to understand love, embrace love, grow love and most of all share love not just to our love ones and friends but to everyone else in the world (of course including those who are hard to love) in each lovely day of our lives …………………… even if the valentine decors are seen no more……………..even if it’s no longer February…………….let us get rid of hatred and grudges……………let us be always a symbol of love to harbor peace and happiness in our hearts.

FORBIDDEN IS INTERESTING

Have you ever wondered why many of us are drawn to do anything forbidden?

Since I was a toddler, I couldn’t deny how I found the things my parents didn’t want me to touch, lick, and play with very irresistible. Picture out a kid who gets delighted with her Mom’s glasses who all of a sudden squeals when the glasses are grabbed from her. Ooppss!!!!! It’s forbidden kid! You might damage it! No!!!!!! or a very excited little girl who is denied to join her Mom in cooking or washing the clothes ……….but still mischievously insists to…………..sorry kid it’s forbidden. Wait ‘till you reach 12…………..

Now, how about those kids in grade school……….they do everything just to play computer games and watch TV instead of studying their lessons or escape from their house during rainy season and play outside with their friends even if they are not allowed to……………because again, forbidden is interesting.

Way back in my high school years, I could still recall my parents constantly haranguing me not to have a boyfriend while still schooling. There was one time when I got head over heels in love with one of my attractive suitors, I tend to ignore my fear to my parents. I became more excited to have a date with that guy. Other than that, I got deprived of many other things other adolescents had fortunately much fun with in my youthful years. And I definitely found those things my parents didn’t want me to do very desirable. No wonder I had several friends before who turned more rebellious when restricted to do the things that usually perk up the youngs’ curiosity. Like most of the teenagers now, they got into tacit affair. They stealthily went out at night, engaged in premarital sex………..or worse, even eloped. Many of them got pregnant at early age……………..stopped schooling…………got addicted to drugs……….indulged in fraternities/sororities………………because many teenage whims and fantasies are usually strictly forbidden.

Even in my early 20’s, still, I never had the total freedom to do almost all the things I relished. The curfew time set for me at home pissed me off. I hate my Dad when he started telling the “don’t’s” to me . Although he disallowed me from hanging out with friends late at night still, I found ways to enjoy bar-hopping and got back home at the wee hours of the morning. LOL! I just slept on his deafening litany and I ended up hurt everytime i answered back………………..the more my Dad wanted me to be back home early from a date with my boyfriend who is now my hubby, the more I tarried and got home late. The more often he told me not to watch movie with my boyfriend and backride my boyfriend’s scooter, the more I kept on doing it…….leaving my Dad’s blood pressure escalating. Grrrrrrrrrrr……………And the most restricted thing I did was having a civil wedding when my Dad wanted it to be in the church……….this was another thing that made my father brimming in anger……….. well, I’m so sorry Pa, there’s nothing you can do about it. I was turning 27 then to decide for my own. I bet there are many of you guys who did the same thing………….like what I said, doing the forbidden is truly fun and the thrill is overpowering!

Now that I’m married and in my late 20’s, I think I’m almost fully-grown up if not totally mature for my age. But still, im not spared from forbidden stuff……………e.g. no to too much spending and shopping , no to nagging my hubby, no to investigate my hubby’s whereabouts and sneakily read his phone messages, no to jealousy and other “don’t’s” which I can’t ironically stop doing.

I heard from my female friends about their hubby’s infidelity. I also received calls from my male friends who are working abroad informing me how they have been cheated by their wives while they are away……………what’s the reason behind all these? Because married men and women are more interesting and attractive because they are restricted.

At work, I wonder how most of us punch our cards late when we’re always reminded that punctuality is a must. Why do we love to procrastinate with our respective work assignments when we know that having delays in one task may snowball and get us buried with piles of work eventually? Why is bad-mouthing or backbiting other people in the office is more interesting than discussing things for work improvement? Because forbidden things are hard to resist from.

Everytime I turn on the TV, the crime scenes are always the highlight of the news report. Rape, corruption, homicide, robbery, kidnapping, bombing, drug trafficking and other sorts of heinous crime are always featured. All these are forbidden yet a lot of bandits are unfazed to engage in.
All the yummy goodies in the fridge and in the grocery store are those which are mostly declared as junk food. The chocolates, ice cream, cakes, chips and other carbo-and-calorie-loaded food are among those which are in the “no-good-for-the-health-food stuff” list of any dietician. But we just can’t deny how we find them more appealing than a bowl of veggies and fruits.
The fatty food” like “letchon”, “balbacua”, “humba, “crispy pata”, deep-fried food as well as the salty food which includes salted and dried fish are the most after-sought menus. The risk of hypertension and heart attack has heightened among the elders since many of them hardly resist those forbidden fat-packed viands.

Smoking and drinking are among those killer vices around the world. But cigarette and liquor manufacturing are some of the lucrative businesses. Many find it hard to evade smoking and drinking alcohol. Forbidden is just addicting!

All the things above are “FORBIDDEN” simply because they won’t do any good to us at all or in short, they are all unacceptable yet they are interesting and tempting. Unless they become insipid or uninteresting, life will be trouble-free……………better hate the forbidden guys!