The seismic plates of relationships are getting active once again in a cyclic ritual common with urbanites. This is the season of love. Today, for those seeking a new catch, just look out for the lass who has not received a flower by 2pm. Dial the nearest florist for quick delivery.
There you have it! But, perhaps that is where the adventure ends. You can bet that while new friendships will be formed, many others will be shattered. Regrettably, the emotional turmoil we will experience is borne more out of naivety than reality.
Valentine’s Day or the day of lovers, is well choreographed. The scriptwriter is none other than Wall Street (capitalism), riding on the whims of societal inadequacies and insecurities. Let’s see: red wine will flow, red roses will be cut and Swiss chocolate munched... As you read this, the scooter rider is sweating through the labyrinth of traffic, emitting carbon as he delivers goodies.
This is perhaps the busiest day for the scooter man, and the waiters and chefs in restaurants because, folks, Valentine’s Day is a multi-billion shilling commercial monster. This juggernaut is responsible for the restlessness most people are experiencing. It has generated a consumerism machine that gobbles down anything and everything – including your heart, liver, intestines and mind. And the more you fret, the more you yearn, and the happier the businessman is.
The spirit of Valentine you wallow in is a latter day product manufactured and propagated by the commercial world where we, especially the “educated” and urbanite, would surrender concessions not to love but to the pressures of the marketing glitz. There is nothing like true romance where the unit of measure is expenditure.
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I find it most unromantic enterprise for love to be conditioned by sheer marketing tricks that simply stimulate consumption. Valentine is a predictable robing romance of a prerequisite adventure. The best Valentine, so goes the script, is the one that spends and spends big.
Woe unto you if you do not strut to the tune. Valentine has made the lovesphere an orgy of material bounty. The “caring man,” has a Valentine breakfast in Westlands, lunch in Upper Hill, late lunch across Thika Road, early dinner in Karen, and finally dinner with the official wife or girl. This has engineered to the highest bidder. Men have been trying to raise cash for today. Some even took soft loans for the event.
-The writer is a communication consultant and lecturer, ewamanji@yahoo.co.uk
