Today is our 6th anniversary. Paul is in New Orleans, I in Mobile, so we are celebrating in the usual style by doing nothing special. We’re pretty laid back people about holidays and tend to go more with our mood and less with the calendar when it comes to presents and celebration. Our anniversary, combined with a post by my LA friend, has me thinking about romance. People warn of the loss of romance when children and careers take hold. Have we, deep in the throws of life, forgotten about romance? Looking back, we’ve never followed the traditional romance route. Yet I think I am a fairly romantic person and love to be romanced. (Caveat: sappy sweet is NOT romantic.) So it got me thinking: what does romance mean to me?
Answer: romance is surprise.
To me, the unexpected is romantic. I am very difficult to surprise and when I am truly caught off my guard, there is nothing I love more. I find great delight in small detail… The surprise of opening the door to find fresh flowers on the table (extra points for a well-potted orchid). Waking up to breakfast in bed. Coming home to a new recipe in the oven. A gift for no reason. I’d rather have these spontaneous surprises than a planned evening of being wined and dined.
I also wonder, as my friend did, what others believe to be romantic these days.
PS: Paul, I still want us to make time for lunch at Bayona when I get home!
Plastic Mile | 10-Jun-06 at 3:21 pm | Permalink
Well done. And a well-deserved happy anniversary to you and Paul.
The American Heritage Dictionary defines romance, in part, as such: “A mysterious or fascinating quality or appeal, as of something adventurous, heroic, or strangely beautiful.”
I think I feel the same pressures as you, except with different circumstances. I’ve been thrown in so many directions, and presented with so many different opportunities, that finally, this weekend, I’ve decided to step back, craft a personal mission statement and reaffirm what it is that I want — not just for a career, but for a life. In part, I’ve decided that it has to entail, as I’ve said, “a mysterious or fascinating quality or appeal, as of something adventurous, heroic, or strangely beautiful.” And you’re right, it is easier to do than one would think, though it requires imagination and discretion …
… though I still think glasses of white wine by the crushing waves of the Pacific is pretty cool.
Matt and Laura | 11-Jun-06 at 7:41 pm | Permalink
Happy Anniversary to you both! I am also a hard one to surprise, so I really love them as well. Not the “mandatory” surprises, or obligations, but the thoughtful ones. Like your husband sneaking in a toaster oven without you knowing. That’s romance. Trust me, appliances can be romantic things when given appropriately. Now, an ironing board and iron for Valentines Day = not romantic.