VALENTINES DAY – A male perspective by Mitch Odhiambo

   Valentine's is that day/season of the year, when women popularly sing songs that suggest...


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   Mitchell OdhiamboValentine’s is that day/season of the year, when women popularly sing songs that suggest a good man is  one who can earn more than his woman is capable of spending. She spends her time updating her social  media page with status update quotes such as ‘When a man is silent, his woman emotionally starves’. This  often evokes responses from their male counterparts since men are goal oriented and when our egos are  challenged, we only settle once we have successfully scored.

A good percentage of men see Valentine’s day as a chance to impress or soothe their egos by proving  themselves able to make a woman feel good. Women, on the other hand, tend to save up all year round  and spend big on Valentine’s day, like they are making an eternal investment. Perhaps to them they are, although to their significant other, Valentine’s day is often seen as a meaningless celebration.

Many of us men do not look forward to Valentine’s day, almost praying to the Almighty to carry us away and return us back on 15th February, if possible. Secretly we whisper, ‘someone kidnap me please’. I would pay someone just to do it.   In fact, I once heard a colleague say and I quote ” I wish Valentines came  on the 29th of February, so we can celebrate it only twice in a decade!”.

Nevertheless for the mature man, though there is nothing much in it for him on this day; he values the day because he values what his woman values and would do anything to spoil her, be it through flowers (which will wilt  in less than a week), to confectionery (which don’t last a week either ), to dinner dates, trips, and more.

I guess what the woman treasures is, how she felt, how he made her feel, and the memories that Valentine’s evoke. You can’t quite quantify that; it is an emotional investment which remains of sentimental value to women.

Any man who understands the heart of a woman will go along with Valentine’s and all its protocol although at the back of his mind,  he would rather be out with his boys playing or watching football. However, as you mature, life becomes less about FIFA, and more about responsibility and if this means celebrating Valentine’s with your loved one, then so be it.  However, until I reach that age, I will keep dreading the 14th of February. To read a female perspective on Valentine’s day, please read my ATB colleague Beryl’s blog

 

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2 comments

  1. africatalentbank       Reply

    This is great!!!

  2. Allan Kayzy       Reply

    you couldn’t have said it better, nice piece!