OPINION

Never be gaga about Valentine’s Day again!

By Amindeh Blaise Atabong(Guest writer & Desk Editor at The Guardian Post)

Last Sunday February 14, my android smart phone threatened to run out of battery within an hour because of the plethora of Valentine’s Day messages which thronged my Whatsapp, Facebook, Imo, and Tango social media accounts, at a frightening rate.

Though the senders were wishing me well and expressing their love for me, I didn’t instantly reply to the messages, not for fear of being categorized into the “Android Generation” by Biya, but due to the fact that I had a pile of editorial work to confront head-on.

Late in the evening same day when I had recharged my phone, another wave of messages bumped in. Some of them were superfluous while the others were stingers from friends who had earlier sent messages but didn’t get a reply. One of the Valentine’s Day evening messages came like a bombshell at a time I had retired home and was suffering from a mild headache.

It was from the lady in whom I am well pleased. “Dearie, won’t you take me out even for a drink today,” the message read in part, with the sender emphasizing that the outing was so necessary and almost sacrosanct.

Considering that we had just had a superb outing less than 32 hours to the day, I replied: “Happy Vals Day but don’t be carried away! The heart knows where it belongs. True love is not celebrated once in a year.”

I don’t want to delve into the polemics of the origin of the Valentine’s Day or how the day suddenly got a romantic face. What bothers me (and I believe others) is the manner with which many people, especially young girls and their elderly counterparts, are so gaga about the day and its celebration.

This columnist’s experience wasn’t an isolated case. The twist of events on the just ‘celebrated’ Valentine’s Day even baffled my colleague, Mua Patrick Mughe. “What is so special about this particular day - February 14, out of the 366 days in this year?” Please I am not wrong to say 366 days; this year is a leap year. Mua questioned rhetorically, indicating that one can always eat and drink.

February 14, as a celebration day for lovers, hasn’t often gone down well. Lovers, instead of celebrating love, they often turn to making love. And most often, though unbelievable yet true, it is always ‘la la la.’

Another disaster in the name of Valentine’s Day is the harassment of boys. Their ‘lovers’ can go to the extent of grabbing their balls, especially when a Val’s Day gift wasn’t made available. They won’t even bother if they had one for their partners. Habba!

What the fuse about Valentine’s Day celebration when some simply use it as an avenue to go wayward, exercising how promiscuous they can be? A veteran once said: “Dat thing for their middle foot no di rest, especially on Valentine’s Day.”

It is often said that where purpose is not known, abuse is inevitable. Many don’t know the purpose of the Saint Valentine’s Day and as such, the build a mountain out of an ant hill concerning the celebration. These are my random musings, and I may be wrong though!