In Between Panels

Saturday, February 14, 2004

Around a decade ago nobody ever thought of celebrating Valentine's Day as big as we do now. Coming right out of the Holiday Season the next mega-celebration Pinoys looked forward to was Lent. I think it's because being a largely Roman Catholic country we focused more on the celebrations that have religious undertones in it. But as the years passed and the administration called more and more non-working holidays, our propensity for fiesta celebrations also increased. We frantically looked for anything and everything to celebrate as an excuse to make merry (so much so we adopted foreign celebrations as we assimilated their attributes as our own). This early business people grabbed their chance to earn more so they created a money-making machine that churned out gazillion trends and events with every type of commercials and announcements customized for any and all imaginable products and services they can offer. They tailor-made every event to just focus on a particular market segment. In effect they collectively impose guilt on those unfortunate enough to be excluded. And almost every time they're targeting a spot in The Guinness Book of World Records to mark the event. You'd think that by this time we'd have also landed a spot in Ripley's Believe It Or Not for being the only country with the constant delusion to fill the book with frivolous accomplishments in a span of few months.

That's the why I'm moving on my own pace and neither am I bitter nor ecstatic about these celebrations. I don't care if I'm still single and no I'm not going to panic every time the month of hearts come around. I still manage to smile along with them but there's nothing they could ever do to make me hang my head in shame for being single. In fact I'd be the first to bat the shame back to you for pressing your commercially induced delirium on me. Anyway here's to a guilt-free Valentine's Day celebration to you all!