My Valentine's Date

On Valentine’s Day, I want to take my date to the most romantic place in the world. Not Paris… not Rome... but the Drive-in Movies! It’s as ancient a practice as carving stone or painting on cave walls, I know, but an evening at the drive-in was really special. Now, a lot of people today think taking your date to the Drive-in was just an excuse to get out of the house and make-out. But that’s not true… it was the atmosphere – the crackly speakers, the Announcements to go get your popcorn, enjoying a movie without ever getting out of your car. It’s all about the mood.

What was great too, was that they were double features. This was a great way to see offbeat B-Movies you otherwise may not have otherwise seen. I saw lots of movies, but for some reason, a movie that sticks out in my mind… I think the last one I ever saw in a drive-in is “The Last Detail” with Jack Nicholson. A Navy kid is taken out by his buddies to have one last hurrah before he’s locked up.

Regular movie theaters today aren’t the same, but they have their own special mood, too. The feel of finding that good seat, and getting more popcorn that you could ever possibly eat is kind of a tradition. It’s so ingrained in us, that even though you’re on a diet… watching every fat gram during the week, being in a theater somehow makes it okay to pour butter flavored goop made of plastic or something, all over your popcorn – it’s all part of the mood.

Think about it - If mood wasn’t that big a deal, you could go on, let’s say… a picnic date. Why go to a park with all those ants and bugs? Why go to the beach, where you crunch down on little sand grits in your sandwich, no matter how careful you are? You really could just lay your picnic blanket out in the middle of the living room floor… but you don’t, because it’s the mood and atmosphere that’s important. It’s worth all the little inconveniences.

Why then, do we download movies on our Ipods? How romantic is that? Do you and your date huddle in close to see the screen? Do you hang the Ipod on a wire from the ceiling so you can pretend you’re looking up at the big screen? Technically, you and your date don’t even need to be in the same room if you both have an Ipod.

I guess the good thing is, that it opens up the dating possibilities. This Valentine’s Day I’m not limited to going on a date with a lady who lives nearby. This saves on gas too. I can have a movie date with a lady in Toronto… or New York, or Italy. We could download the same movie at exactly the same time. We can pop our own microwave popcorn and watch the movie together… even though we’re thousands of miles apart.

Now, there’s another thing you can add to make your Valentine’s Night special… The reaction of the person you’re with is important while you’re watching a movie… and exchanging a few laughs together during it… So you can both set up a web cam on yourselves, and glance over at each other anytime you want. I’m sure you can coordinate the start of the movie at the same time, so your reactions will be right on. With a simple microphone, you can share laughs during the movie and even some romantic whisperings. With an Ipod or cell phone, you don’t have to deal with the crunching of gravel as cars pull into the drive-in a little late or any other annoyances. It’s totally romantic… just she and I… and our Ipods watching “The Last Detail!” Technology just keeps getting better and better… I’m feeling romantic already!