By Emina Cirkic
It was a cold December morning and my friend Anna and I were getting ready for a bonding day downtown. She thought it was an ordinary day, but I knew she was going to be in for a HUGE surprise.
There was this guy, Zach; we were all friends with for a while. Their relationship turned in to the typical “I like her, she likes me, but I’m not going to say anything.” Eventually, I persuaded Zach to make his move. He planned a day for Anna and I culminating in meeting up with him so he could make his grand gesture: asking Anna out to prom. We went to various places downtown like the movie theatre, Cristkindelmarkt at the Daley Plaza, the Art Institute, and little cafes. At each of these places, he left her little notes that eventually spelled out “Will you go to prom with me?”
The Last place we went to was the ice skating rink at Millennium Park where Zach stood on the ice with the word “Me?” in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other. It was one of the most romantic and well-thought-out moves I had ever seen.
The next day I told my friends at school about it and all anyone said throughout my entire story was “Awwww” or “Oh my God!” and the occasional “I wish I had a guy like that!”
Sometimes it feels like there are no more romantic gushy moments. I hear guys complaining about how hard it is to get a girl’s attention or to make a girl fall head over heels for them. So much thought and concern over problems that can be easily solved with one, simple thing: romance.
Even if a girl says she hates flowers and bristles at the thought of “cheesy moments.” Don’t believe it. Every girl wants a guy to take an extra step to make her feel special. It doesn’t have to be some grand display of affection like renting a yacht and having a personal showing of fireworks on the lake (although that would definitely earn a guy some serious points). A simple flower is a simple yet grand gesture. No need to buy a whole bouquet of long stem roses…one flower is all it takes.
Here is a list of the top 10 romantic gestures guys should try this Valentine’s Day for that special girl.
1. Kiss her in the rain or snow. (Here’s hoping for bad weather this Valentine’s Day!)
2. Give her flowers… even just one.
3. Only communicate through hand written letters for the day.
4. Personally make her a homemade lunch.
5. Sneak little cute notes into her locker, books, and notebooks.
6. Randomly dance with her…even if there’s no music.
7. Pull a move from Dirty Dancing – reenact the iconic end scene.
8. Take a walk at sunset on the beach…or along Lake Michigan.
9. Give her at least three genuine compliments within the day.
10. Call her favorite radio station and dedicate a song to her.
Women notice everything — and I mean everything. A simple romantic gesture will knock her off her feet. It seems as if all the simple stuff men used to do for women before, just doesn’t happen anymore. No one writes romantic letters to one another or gives little gifts for no reason. It’s the little things that count the most in a woman’s life.
So there you have it, the key to a woman’s heart: Romance. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone, especially to the hopeless romantics out there! I hope to see love letters, single stem flowers, and giggly girls all over Lane today.
