Valentine's Day has come round again. It's a source of some comfort in my life that I am likely to experience less than a hundred of them.
I've only ever received three genuine Valentine cards, one of which I so didn't want, and the other two of which I thought I wanted but I turned out to have thought wrong. My brother, on the other hand, has received hundreds of cards over the years on February 14th, but that'd be because today is his birthday (HB2U). Always makes it very difficult trying to buy him a birthday card though, because half the floorspace of every card shop in the country has been replaced by a red and pink Lurve Zone for the last month.
Today's a very tough day to be coupled. You have to buy an appropriate present for your loved one that's at least as good as the present they've bought you, without being so good that it puts their attempt to shame. You have to buy the right card that's just the right mix of cute, fluffy and sincere, and send the right text message that's not too serious but not too frivolous. And you have to remember to buy everything before today, otherwise you find the card shop is packed the but the florists is empty. Get anything wrong and next year you'll be single.
Today's also a very tough day to be single. Nobody wakes you in the morning with a single red rose or a champagne breakfast. You get to watch other people at work eating Belgian chocolates all day while listening to them discussing their oh-so perfect partners. And this year Valentine's Day and Friday night coincide, so everyone I could be going out on the town with tonight is going out with each other instead. I hope London's restaurants have enough tables for two to cope with the demand. Maybe I should book a reservation now for next year, just in case?
