There are almost as many lovers of Valentine’s Day as there are haters. Lovers say it’s a day to remember your loved ones, haters say it’s a day for chocolate and flower companies and fancy restaurants to make a killing. Whichever side of the divide you belong to, this article isn’t about why Valentine’s is great or not. It’s just a chilling warning not to do some dumb stuff during Valentine’s Day. This is of course targeted at those who actually care about the day at all.
Break up with your partner
On the scale of dumb things to do, this is the worst possible. Your partner is expecting some love and TLC and instead they get shown the door. Seriously, this can probably wait for a day, or better yet, happen a day before rather than on the material day. I don’t care how hurt you are or what happened, the easiest way to ruin all your future Valentine’s Days is to break up on the day. Stick it out for a day and then call it, you’ll be saving the both of you bitter memories in the future.
Turn a Valentine’s outing into a venting party
You see the sorry part about many dates that happen on this day is that they are attended by half-convinced people who want to maintain the status quo. Here is someone who has reserved the day for love and intimacy and the moment you arrive at the restaurant, the first thing you start complaining about is all the roses and other lovey-dovey stuff all over the place. Next you start complaining about the prices that have been inflated just for the sake of lovers just like you. Instead of being such a wet blanket, why not just call the day off and stay at home. No one has dragged you to the restaurant (unless you have literally been dragged there) and no one is forcing you to stay either. Put up and shut up and give your date a wonderful experience.
Drink too much a.k.a. get wasted
It’s a Valentine’s date not a frat party. Taking your date out and then over indulging is a sure way of killing the intimacy the event should have. Whether you are a guy or girl, the last thing your date wants is to drag you home when you are drunk beyond coherence. If you must drink, pick another day. A few glasses of wine should suffice for such a day to lift you moods and give you guys a good time. Getting wasted is neither romantic nor intimate. Control the booze and you’ll have a great time.
Take your lover somewhere that bores you/them stiff
Sure, she/he loves postmodern art and can spend hours on end at the museum or art gallery just poring and poring over various artistic minutiae. You, on the other hand, got bored the moment the plan was made and you end up gritting your teeth through it all. No can do. Dates are about doing things that you both find interesting and entertaining. If you don’t feel that art, voice it beforehand so you can adjust the plan accordingly. There is no prize for playing a martyr in such situations, just an opportunity to become irritable and ruin the entire evening.
Cook up a storm, literally
Guys and girls alike fancy a partner who has some descent cooking skills. Whipping up a tasty meal may just be what will increase the level of intimacy you and your partner have. But with cooking, same as many things in life, good intentions are just that, good intentions. There is no amount of good intentions that can cover for a lousy meal. If you can’t cook, either find someone to cook for you in-house or make a reservation at a fine dining restaurant; your beau will thank you for it later. There is no shame in not being able to cook; there is shame in faking you can cook and then blundering to some disastrous results.
Guest post by Scott Ryan, writing for Call Mum