Happy Valentine's Day everyone! Me and my valentine, Emily, had an awesome day today. What, you say? Yes, friends can be valentines too. Heck, I even asked my cat to be my valentine (he said *purrr* so I took that as a yes). Remember in elementary school when everyone got their parents to go out and buy a big box of heart shaped candies and those little paper valentine cards? And you spent the morning making little mailboxes with your name on it so that everyone could put the cards in it and you felt so special because everyone was your valentine. Can't we just go back to that? Actually no, let's not. Valentine's Day, just like many other holidays, has turned into one big consumerism conspiracy. Guys feel pressured by society to shower their significant other with flowers and chocolates and big stuffed teddy bears that will not, no matter how much you push, fit in their locker so they have to carry it around with them all day and be humiliated because their boyfriend's demonstration of love needs it's own seat in the classroom. At my school, you can buy kiss-o-grams to send to your valentine. I didn't get any today, but I'm not unhappy because the candy is crap anyway. However, just the idea that someone is thinking of you and making the effort to show it means more to me than any amount of calories and sugar.
Today in drama class, we played a game that fit with the Valentine's Day theme. Has any of you heard of a game called "Prom Date"? (I guess for today we should call it "Valentine's Day Date") No? Well, I'll describe it quickly. There are two circles of people. Everyone is sitting cross-legged and facing inwards. Each person on the outside circle sits directly behind someone on the inside circle. However, there is one person with out a partner, one person who is single and doesn't have a date for Valentine's Day (see the connection?). They also sit in the circle. Then this 'single' person calls two names of the people sitting on the inside. These people, who's names were called, must race to be the first person to touch the 'single' person's hand, and become their date. However, the people sitting behind them don't want their person to leave because they don't want to be the person without a date for Valentine's Day. So they must use any physical means possible to stop them from touching the 'single' person's hand. (In other words, an excuse to wrestle someone in a brutal test of strength.) The person who touches the 'single' person's hand first sits behind them and the new 'single' person proceeds to call out two new names. Unless the wrestlers reach a stale-mate and no one reaches the 'single' person within 10 seconds (or longer if you want to watch them struggle cuz its freaking hilarious). Get it? Sorry, that explanation wasn't actually that short. Anyway, we played this game in drama for almost the entire hour and 15 minutes. And it got intense. A girl in my class, Hannah, has a black belt in karate and can do like 50 push-ups in one go, or kill you if she wanted. Let's just say I'm glad I never had to be her 'date' for Valentine's Day. It is so funny to watch people's different strategies of holding their person back. (I've perfected the art of grabbing their arms like they're being arrested and then wrapping my legs around them like a koala bear.) It's also hilarious when the tallest person in the class gets paired up with the smallest person... I'll let you picture that yourselves. Although this game is so fun and it teaches you to get comfortable with your peers pretty quickly, it can be a brutal game. There were many rug-burns, bruised ribs, abused arms, and injured fingers by the end of the period. (Some of them my fault, I will admit. Apparently, I'm stronger than I look!) So don't suggest this game in your next gym class (unless you are doing a unit on wrestling) or when you go visit your local penitentiary (unless you want to be seriously injured). Instead, ask your valentine out by giving them a big hug, a teddy bear, or a kiss (real or chocolate, both are acceptable), not by attacking them...
All in all, an excellent Valentine's Day, by my standards! Sincerely, Sam <3
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