Currently viewing the tag: "Relationships"

After recently watching the film Date Night with Steve Carell and Tina Fey, I started to wonder how many people actually do this any more? The film dramatises how most people feel about date night; busy lives often mean that finding time for a ‘special’ evening is more stressful than worthwhile. My partner and I have been together for the majority of our adult lives and despite our success we  have yet to actually go on a fairytale date. To clarify, I mean one of those dates where we both get dressed up and eat somewhere low-lit with soft Jazz. Obviously this is followed by a romantic stroll by a river and the whole evening is packaged into a montage narrated by the tones of Damien Rice.

Meeting through school at the tender age of 16, our idea of a date was a teenage house party where drink was plentiful and stolen kisses in crowded corridors were about as romantic as it got. Obviously things have changed since then.

To keep things ticking along, the concept of date night had reared its head a few times. Its appeal lies in the fact that it forces both of us to make an effort and do something different. Yet is it a practical option and can such an event be upheld on a regular basis nowadays? With rising workloads and stress to match, the idea of getting dressed up and going out to spend money we don’t have isn’t appealing. Dating is an act dreaded by many so the thought of doing it when you finally find your perfect partner seems particularly cruel for all those involved.

So with this in mind, can date night be a more fluid concept? Can it instead mean that once  a month some time is placed aside, day or night, unscheduled and at random, spent as circumstances determine? Whether at home or not, it has to be made special, for me this just means phones off and Facebook left alone. I don’t think date night should rigidly mean flowers, toe-numbing heels and expensive food. Why can it not instead be a simple candle lit dinner at home, a drive to the beach or an inexpensive but different Groupon. Services such as Groupon can help considerably for these occasions, only recently I saw a cheap cocktail making course, perfect for a special occasion.

I think traditional date night has evolved and it no longer works with the modern life style. If you can achieve one out of the ordinary gesture per month, I’m certain that it can only have a positive effect on any relationship. October’s date has yet to be determined in my household but I’m keeping an eye out for ideas that will suit both of us.

Gemma

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