The Rural Voice, 1981-03, Page 35GISELE IRELAND
The
romantic month
BY GISELE IRELAND
February is the romantic month. Embellished with hearts and
flowers it makes our libidos quicken with expectations of tributes
to our romantic natures. What did you get for Valentines's
Day?If he forgot, he's perfectly average. If he remembered with
the usual candy offering it's because you just reminded him
enough times before. If he exceeded all your expectations and
came across with something extraordinary presented with
solicitude. . . .watch him, he's up to something!
Romance is not a word men are' fond of. Just ask him whether
he remembers your first date. He will recount the make and
model of the car he had at the time and how fast it went, but little
else. Your memories of a first kiss are stashed away somewhere
with the blue dashlights and fur -covered steering wheel. In my
day, we were pretty careful not to bestow a kiss on the first date
in case_he thought we were "easy". I was always under the
impression that you did not chase a man or a bus because there
would be another one along shortly. If I ask my husband how
come he is never romatic anymore he rejoins with the statement
that he's there when I wake up in the morning. Now I ask you, in
this age of infidelity, what more can a romantic soul crave?
Our craving for romance is the reason there is such a bonanza
in the romatic fiction publishing business. You know the kind of
books I mean. The heroine is always beautiful, touchingly young
and unwordly, and wretchedly poor. Along comes this virile,
handsome male, dripping with available cash, and just looking
for an unworldly little thing.. He's usually got the manners of a
duke and the morals of an alley cat. The machinations they go
through before he carries her to bed and slams the door in our
faces are what makes us drool, a little envious because we seem
to have missed out somewhere. 1 know that these kinds of men
are hard to find, at least they've never chased me; and it would
take a good two of them to carry me anywhere. The women are
always the epitome of delicacy and femininity and the men virile
and macho. But, oh boy, do we wish!
The market is also swamped with articles and books on how to
recapture the romance that mortgages, braces and diapers have
squashed. The authors point out to the women that romance can
be regained with a little help from the lingerie department, the
cosmetic counter and insight into the behaviour pattern of the
modern male. We gobble it up and resign ourselves to flannel
nighties because no romance is preferable to pneumonia in a
see-through wisp, and we never find the time or cash to avail
ourselves of a more glowing complexion in three weeks using the
newest wrinkle fighter on the market. Men are much more
complacent about grey hair, accumulated wrinkles and the "fun
fat" above their belts. Women always want to change and
improve on what they have to recapture what they think they
missed. It seems to be a fact of life that when we get older we try
to go back and regain the things we have discarded a few years
beack. the things we took for granted then.
After years of marriage, Brian gets excited if there is a button
missing on my blouse and takes it for an invitation to further
liberties. Some men just find it exciting to have their soup hot.
Romance to older couples has been replaced with far more
enduring qualities. Those fleeting memories of romance where
the world just existed for the two of you are replaced by mutual
respect and love for each other and the family you have managed
to accumulate. Thoughts of Hydro bill receive more attention
than choosing the shade of lipstick you apply that day.
Right now I just have to get back and finish the last chapter of
"Sweet Surrender" and find out whether she really hates him as
much as 'she says she does. You're right, she's beautiful and
poor and he is a handsome brute with a lot of mortgage -paying
ability!
The new spring fabrics
have arrived
CHARG
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17 Victoria St. 482-7036
THE RURAL vUICEIMARCH 1981 PG 29