She was dressed in an elegant cocktail dress: short, but not skimpy. Her hair styled a bit more than the usual office look, but not extravagant. Her sparkling earrings highlighted the light in her eyes. She looked wonderful tonight.
My black, classic wool pants were pressed, not starched. The cream-colored mock turtleneck peeked out from under the single-buttoned burgundy blazer. European savoir faire.
I slipped the corsage onto her wrist, opened the door and escorted her to dinner and the theater – a romantic evening for sure.
Soon I realized she didn’t feel romanced.
To her it was unromantic. She felt dressed up to:
- Impress others,
- Appease me, and
- Endure
Her preference for romance?
Shorts and a summer’s afternoon under a huge oak tree. Pimento cheese sandwiches, carrot and celery sticks and a couple beers defined dining. There’d be strolling and talking and lots of laughter in her Romantic Interlude.
What went wrong with my creation?
I’d focused on what I considered romantic. Instead of creating a Romantic Interlude for my sweetheart, I’d created a Romantic Interlude for me.
Sometimes, we create Romantic Interludes which flop because our focus has been on ourselves, not our sweetheart.
The Platinum Rule of Romance reminds us: “do unto your sweetheart as your sweetheart wishes you to do unto him/her.”
By focusing on what your sweetheart considers romantic, you’re more likely to create a Romantic Interlude which strengthens your relationship and creates a shared memory between the two of you – a memory which will persist over the years.
While I may enjoy this “classic romantic evening” of fine dining and Peer Gynt, if I want to romance my sweetheart, I’ll exchange my Berlutis for Sketchers and meander with her through the Dogwoods on a warm summer’s day.
What would be your sweetheart’s ideal Romantic Interlude?
Robert, a hopeless romantic
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Romance Alive 