I've been wanting to write this post for, well, the last 3 days. But I've been procrastinating. Not for the lack of material to write, no, I've got plenty. No, I haven't been in the right emotional state to write it. It's nothing hormonal. I just haven't been feeling the love. So, to remedy the situation I went, by myself, to watch Valentine's Day, the movie. If there was more reason to hate Valentine's Day, the day, this was it.
Which idiot came up with an association between a day when two men, with, obviously, the same name, were tortured to death, eons ago, and love? Call me stupid and slap my face, but I just don't get it. (on second thoughts don't!) The saints, after which the day is named,were presumably executed because they defied the emperor's (Claudius the Cruel) command of having an army of single men. Damn! I'm sure that's reason enough. Where the celebration of love features in this whole story is beyond me. The evolution of these morbid deaths into a symbol of love and what it stands for, is a little too far-fetched.
I am not romantic, by any stretch of the imagination. Yes, I have been known to indulge in reading Mills & Boons novels, but those are feminine pornography, not to be confused with romance or love. The ideology of romance is, at best, vague to me. Don't get me wrong, I've had romantic moments like being on top of the Eiffel Tower with my husband, having wine at 2 am on my balcony and discussing ethics in business strategy, or having my husband poke fun at me and being able to return the favor, in public. See what I mean? To the ordinary, this would seem absolutely unromantic, except maybe the Eiffel Tower bit. To me, this is the essence of love and romance, being able to connect with someone on a simplistic level, regardless of the day.
Tell that to the millions of people all around the world, who celebrate this day as if the rest of the year is devoted to showing people how much you hate them. Seriously, isn't love the kind of emotion that has to be nurtured everyday? How can one day in a year encapsulate a feeling that leaves you breathless, longing for more, sad, angry, lustful, caring, kind, devoted, forgiving, happy and a myriad of other things? I wouldn't wish valentine's day, everyday, on anyone. But there has to be a realization that one day in a year does not justify the power of love.
A candlelit dinner, flowers, a walk in the park, that special smile or touch can't be reserved for once a year. As someone, probably piss drunk, once said: 'What is life without love, and love without a life?'
For we don't live for just a day, do we?
That day lost charm according to me, years ago. I miss the good old days when it did seem to have some charm, though!
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