Valentine’s Day: Scourge of the Onelys (Nature Edition) February 1, 2010
Posted by Onely in "Against Love"...?, Pop Culture: Scourge of the Onelys, Singled Out.Tags: couples-only, hiking, louisville ky, night hikes, valentine's day
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So last week I was rea
ding one of my favorite blogs, a local site that announces public events and gatherings located in the Louisville area. (I really appreciate the site and the owner, who obviously cares about our little city and runs the site pro bono, so I’m not going to link to it here.) On the site, there was an announcement for an event held at a beautiful forest about 20 minutes outside of the city — my dog and I love hiking at this forest, and so I read the following with enthusiasm — and then jarring disappointment:
A romantic Valentine’s Day evening awaits Friday, February 12 and Saturday, February 13 at — Forest. For only $25, couples will be treated to a romantic candle-lit hike that ends with a view of Louisville’s lights from the scenic — House.
Following the hike, couples will enjoy a roaring fire, hot drinks and gourmet desserts within the — House. … The evening begins at 7:30 p.m. and is expected to wind up by 10 p.m. Couples are also invited to bring flashlights to the hike for added visibility along the trails.
Because of increased demand for the hikes, an additional date was added this year.
“The natural beauty of — Forest is a great fit with Valentine’s Day,” said —, public education coordinator at — Forest. “Couples can have a romantic evening by taking a stroll through the grounds, then relaxing in front of the fire. We have many couples who have made this part of their Valentine tradition. They look forward to seeing other couples they have met in the years past. The — House offers enough room to sit together or find a romantic spot away from the group.”
I’ll admit: I’m not normally all that surprised — or even bothered — by V-day events. They often sound boring and/or cheesy; they’re usually activities I’d rather not participate in, even if I were coupled. But being the outdoorsy kind of woman I am, I feel completely offended by this event. I am simply horrified by the idea that this cool night-time nature hike — which I would truly enjoy! — has become a couples-only activity! The strangest part about the announcement, which Christina pointed out to me, is that it doesn’t even say explicitly that the event is only for couples… But the language used in the announcement is clearly grounded upon that basic premise (especially the last paragraph — which makes me nauseous!).
To which I say, F*** you, — Forest!
Copious Readers, what do you think? Am I overreacting?
— Lisa
photo credit: asiastockimages
Onely.Org 
No, I don’t think you’re overreacting at all. It sounds really cheesy that they’ve taken something which could be really fun for ANYONE and made it into this romantic outing. ugh.E
Lisa, I think you should just GO. It does sound like a fun event. It’s only $25, so I would say just pay it all for yourself and GO. Make a statement. Other people may not be interested in conversing with you when they are trying to make it a “romantic” evening, but you can enjoy the moonlit nature walk on your own. Shock a few people, what the hell?
Lauri, I agree! I told her the same thing! GO LISA!!!!
CC
Well, Lauri (and C), I would go — for Onely research purposes, of course — except the $25 is actually a big chunk of change for someone like me… Maybe I can convince a friend to come with me and we could split the cost.
Will let you know!
— L
But you and your friend would have to smooch amd make googly eyes in order to prove you were a Couple. Might be worth it to save a few bucks, though. CC
You’d think at least ONE organization would try to recruit singles for an alternative V-day celebration!
Hmmm… Worth a little research, I think. Maybe will set up a post in a few days.
— L
A hike seems an odd choice for a Valentine’s Day event.
(I totally agree!)
— L
really? it seems a really obvious choice to me. Of course I hang out with a disproportionate number of hippies and enviros.
Listen, married people or those who are in relationships need to feel important. Yes, I am one of those people and so I can say that I miss being single sometimes. Don’t get me wrong because I do love my husband. However, every now and then I miss going out with the girls and just laughing. So instead of cursing at the forest, get your own group of people together, set up a time and let me know how your own gathering went- just so that I can feel like I had a fun outing rather than a Valentine’s dinner.
However, if you still want to see what your in for after you get married, check out this funny article written by a woman who’s husband totally changed as the years went on http://www.powderroomgraffiti.com/get-it/
[…] vacillated amongst the “best” possible approaches: In past years, we’ve critiqued couples events, renamed the holiday (LGTOWAQAP Day for short), featured the quintessential anti-valentine, Death […]