“It’s still the same old story, A fight for love and glory, A case of do or die. The world will always welcome lovers, As time goes by. Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers, As time goes by.”
—“As Time Goes By,” by Herman Hupfeld, from the film “Casalanca.”
“It’s still the same old story, A fight for love and glory, A case of do or die. The world will always welcome lovers, As time goes by. Oh yes, the world will always welcome lovers, As time goes by.”
—“As Time Goes By,” by Herman Hupfeld, from the film “Casalanca.”
Welcome to February, “The Love Month,” or so they say, thanks in part to Valentine’s Day.
Of course the month has been made more poignant with the recent showing of “Casasblanca” at the Casino building in the Avalon Theatre.
Perhaps it’s more than Valentine’s Day itself that heightens our awareness of the one great gift of life, which is to have someone with whom to share it in some romantic way. It’s a concept that stretches way beyond our “Island of Romance,” but all over the world and throughout time. Some might say that romance is in fact, more responsible for “making the world go round,” so to speak, than money.
The roots of this go back, supposedly, to Adam and Eve, who may have never have been to a candlelight dinner at the Ristorante Villa Portofino or taken a romantic stroll on the Green Pier, but plenty of their progeny have.
As long as there have been people on the planet, February has been the month wherein the Sun shines for significantly longer than the shortest days in December.
Young and old alike, we feel the change and we instinctively become more hopeful about the future. We are reminded of the power of love and romance in our life. It becomes time again to take a chance and reach out to one we love, no matter whom we are and they might be.
And so in February, we have Valentine’s Day and a way for us to express to someone that we not only care about them, but how wonderful life is with them in the world. We express our Valentine’s Day thoughts and feelings in different ways at various stages of our life. We are taught about it though, from an early age.
Kindergarten school children are often encouraged to exchange Valentine’s Day cards with classmates, not as a romantic expression, but to acknowledge that we are all potential friends. In a perfect world, everyone in kindergarten would get a Valentine’s Day card from someone and share in the goodwill that signifies “The Love Month.”
Fast-forward to adulthood and Valentine’s Day, and how it is expressed takes on many forms.
Most of all, it is an opportunity for grownups to show they are not too busy, too rich or too poor to take the time to tell someone they are special in some romantic way.
In our corner of the world, there seems to be an infinite number of ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day and the spirit of what it stands for.
That being said, Valentine’s Day offers a challenge for everyone to express the holiday in his or her own way.
For some folks, a gift of diamonds is the only thing that will cut it for Valentine’s Day. One man might give his wife an affordable diamond each year they are married. Such a gesture is usually seen as very romantic.
It also ensures the couple has a dependable nest egg. Who says you can’t be practical and romantic at the same time? Besides, the universe is full of paradoxes that work side by side. Why else would opposites attract?
For some, Valentine’s Day means going out and enjoying some kind of romantic activity. This could be as simple as a moonlight walk along the sand at Descanso Beach. If the tide is right, you might catch a glimpse of Marilyn Monroe’s spirit still walking along the water’s edge there, as some say they have.
As it would still be February, the night air is still a little chilly. So what else will you do but hold each other tight?
You might like to take an evening cruise with friends to Two Harbors and toast the night with champagne at the Harbor Reef restaurant.
A romantic evening for some people might mean locking up the house or condo and making reservations for a hotel, or other hideaway for the night. Perhaps your idea of romance is to take a trip overtown for the evening. You’ll go to a place where you don’t have to worry about making up the bedding in the morning and there is either room service at your fingertips or you could bring your own bottle of wine and preferred snacks. Or perhaps you take a trip to the mainland stay at the bed and breakfast suite offered by O’Malley’s on Main in Seal Beach.
Such a rendezvous could be preceded by a night on the town. You could hire a limo and ride to a classy entertainment venue such as the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts—what some refer to as the Carnegie Hall of west Orange County. Afterwards, perhaps you go for a nightcap at a place that has music, and if your feet are still happy you can twinkle your toes together on the light fantastic.
Romance may also have its whimsical side. For some, a Valentine’s Day date could be as simple as a romantic evening at home in Avalon and in the morning, leaving one red rose on a pillow with a card that says just three words.
