Entries for "The Challenge"

A Valentines Memory?

Life, these days, seems to be an endless celebration day rolling from one in to another - no sooner has Father's day come and gone, the shops practically start stocking up for Halloween. The First of November rolls around and there's Christmas music in the shopping arcade and selection boxes in the Supermarket aisles, then, once the party poppers and champagne glasses are on sale, the Easter Eggs come out at 3-for-2 in Tesco.

I'm not sure if life always used to be like this, over commercialized to such a degree, or whether I have come to notice it more the older I become.

To be honest, I'm not adverse to partaking in some of these mass market celebrations. I love dressing up for Halloween and whilst I don't really celebrate Christmas, I'm definitely a promoter of New Years - I'll be the one shoving the afore mentioned party popper and champagne glass in your hand forcing you to sing Auld Lang Syne, waxing lyrical about how this year is going to be The Best. I always send my parents gifts on their designated day and I like a chocolate egg as much as the next person. But by far the weirdest of all these celebratory days where I'm concerned, is Valentines Day.

Now, I'm not much of a romantic - if at all. The idea of anything soppy makes me feel physically sick - and quite frankly I'd rather have a boyfriend who invited me out drinking with the lads rather than a bath full of rose petals and a snuggle in front of the fire. If I got married I'd like The Murder Dolls version of "White Wedding" played for the first dance and that thing that couples do where they feed each other at restaurant tables actually makes me never want to eat food again. I learned to use a fork for a reason.

So, when faced with the question of "What is your favourite valentines memory?" for "The Challenge"  - do I fabricate something socially acceptable? Or do I write a snarky response to the prompt illustrating the illusion that this is any day of celebration at all, pointing out my distaste for the misguided sentiment surrounding this unassuming Winter's day?

In actual fact, I struggle to remember any Valentine's Days at all, even the ones where I must have had a partner. I think once I went to a rock club with some single friends, but that could have been Halloween. Or maybe just a random day, in March. In fact, if it wasn't for WDC, VD (unfortunate acronym, but perhaps appropriate) would have barely swept across my radar at all.

So I suppose, in conclusion, what I am trying to say, is that I don't have a favourite valentines memory. In any shape or form.

But I had to write something, just so I could finish The Challenge