The usual pre-Valentine’s day buzz had kicked-in in Port-Harcourt. I already knew it got to these people so I tried to downplay it in order not to feel it; not believing in it.

Monday morning, 13th February 2012, I was still constructing a perfect antidote to successfully go through Tuesday without the depressive externalities from Valentine’s day celebrants, when my Dad shot me with the plan that he would be traveling the next day to Uyo on a business trip.

“Wow! What an escape.” I thought to myself. I immediately volunteered company. Deal! I was travelling on Tuesday with Dad to Uyo. My last trip to Uyo had pleasant memories attached to it. I was certainly looking forward to another. Plus, ‘business trip?’ I love the sound of those.

We left quite early in the morning to beat the Port-Harcourt traffic. As usual we just couldn’t beat it right. My dad not being a ‘jamz’ person discouraged my coming with an MP3 player loaded with enough ‘jamz’. He tuned into radio, which although played ‘jamz’, he argued brought news flashes from time to time and he was interested in hearing some of those. No qualms, we let the radio play.

‘Jamz’ started rolling in. Nice! Wonderful morning on a business trip to Uyo with Dad. Que sera sera, whatever will be, will be. Dad stepped on the gas and off we went. As usual again, the presenters popped-in to introduce the show, reminding all listeners that it was Valentine’s day. Then it occurred to me I will be spending Valentine’s day with Dad.

Through this all, it brought it home that all this while, I had developed quite a narrow and somewhat myopic perspective of what Valentine’s day truly stood for. Although it can be argued that profit-driven promotions and opportunity for random sex has overtaken the general idea as well as cast the theme of Valentine’s day in a bad light.

I then understood that as long as we have that special person(s), which we always seem to have, who brings out our love as well as reciprocate it, whether parents, siblings, good friends, colleagues or lovers, it creates a worthiness in celebrating this day. And in as much as the negative side of Valentine’s day would almost always prevail, it in itself goes on to amplify the uniqueness of love and offset an appreciation for those that brings out love in us as well as reciprocate it; exactly what Valentine’s day truly stands for.

Happy Valentine’s day.