For years I snorted disapprovingly at things like Easter egg hunts, Christmas and Valentine’s Day, but this year I’m checking out the beaten path.

As a child, every day was full of possibilities. The world was a large and magical place created just for me. I’m sad to admit that growing up changed a lot of that. While I’d love to say I’m the type of person who remained a child at heart, I can’t.

It took about a day of being an adult to make me realize it’s no picnic. Nobody’s around to protect me from the horrors of mankind anymore. War and politics and poverty and violence are realities I can’t ignore. Every day presents opportunities to fuck up. There’s a lot of pressure to be a good person, a good friend, a good citizen, successful, intelligent, beautiful and lovable. My daily routine is slowly killing my creativity and my belief that I can change the world.

Being realistic and practical are commendable qualities, but they aren’t qualities I value in my personal life. I’ve decided to create opportunities for the world to surprise me. If there’s a reason to celebrate, I’m doing it. Christmas, New Year’s Eve, Valentine’s Day, Chinese New Year, Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Youth Day, Human Rights Day, every single friend’s birthday (I’ll even throw in Hanukkah, if someone can explain it to me) will experience the full wrath of my uncontained joy. How’s that for an oxymoron?

So far my strategy has panned out. Christmas was a lovely, mushy affair celebrated with family and friends over delicious meals. I danced in the rain on New Year’s Eve. I squealed like a piglet and bought a bunny-shaped balloon for Chinese New Year’s.

Even Valentine’s Day panned out for a change. Instead of the usual dread, I approached the day with excitement. I started putting together a V-Day playlist a month before the day, I cooked pasta with butter sauce, I filled my home with people I love and I drank more white wine than anyone should ever drink.

My new, improved approach to Valentine’s Day earned me some love from the Universe in general, and my friend Jian Reis in particular. Not only did I get a Batman duckie chocolate and a heart-shaped note from my friend Donnay, a heart-shaped cookie from my cousin Carina, a homemade box of homemade heart-shaped dark chocolates from my forever-in-my-heart roommate Mel, heart-shaped chocolates from my best friend Annerien and roses from Sparrow, I also got roses and a whole box full of treats (including a Batman graphic novel) from Jian!

To add to the awesomeness, an impulsive decision to stop at Mama Shebeen’s in Greenside got me free beer (not the best idea after two bottles of white wine) and a free show with banjos! I love banjos! And better yet, the banjo was played by a bearded man! Bearded banjo man! Lots of exclamation marks!

Anyhoo, I shall continue on my quest to celebrate whatever I can, but the rest of the celebrations have a lot to live up to. And so, to Easter!