Before you read this piece please be aware that I am not against Valentine's Day and taking a moment to say we love our significant others or dearest friends. The media is full of articles about the pros and cons of the love industry so this piece is not unique. So be it, I hope you enjoy a short rant.
History tells us the first St.
Valentine was executed by Roman Emperor Aurelian and buried under the Via
Flaminia. The highway was not enough to
hold him and now, 2000 years later, we still celebrate the romantic myth of
that martyred priest.
Let’s face it, for centuries the
love angle has been played by merchants to sell cards, chocolates, jewellery
and so much other stuff to unfortunate men. When did you first become aware of Valentine’s
Day? Think back, way back, you were in
Kindergarten. You didn’t notice when little girls looked at little boys, smiled
coyly and one passed a cardboard heart to a certain unsuspecting boy in the
front row.
The poor kid was completely
surprised and embarrassed because he didn’t have a card for her. This was the beginning
of his downward spiral to the depths of Valentine’s Day despair. As the years
went by he was confronted with a challenge far more difficult than Christmas or
anything else. He made the mistake of ignoring it until the very last minute
when, on February 13, his girlfriend, fiancé or wife looked at him expectantly while
making a comment such as “I wonder if this winter will ever end, thank goodness
February is half over, are we doing anything special tomorrow?”
Hopefully his brain neurons
fire in time to avoid a catastrophe but many a poor wretch miss it and thus is doomed
to a long chilly winter. No early spring for him in spite of what the groundhog
said.
There is another segment of
the population that is even more stressed by Valentine’s Day. These are the
unattached men and women who either have numerous close friends or no friends.
Pity the woman with a number of suitors asking to take her out on Valentine’s
evening. Which one will she choose? The others will be sent a message of
rejection and the lucky one might get the idea there is more to come. What to do!
The gay/lesbian community
doesn’t appear to participate in the Valentine business. Do hearts and chocolates
cut it with your gay lover or your gal sweetheart? What if each gives the other a box of chocolates?
We won’t go there but just think about it.
In conclusion Valentine’s Day
is a disaster for most of the population subject to disappointment, stress and
heart break. Which camp are you in or are you a well-trained spouse who doesn’t
dare miss the clues of February?
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| Love you |
It is interesting to note that there were 14 saints with the name Valentine, one of which has his relics kept in a church in Dublin, Ireland ... which comes as no surprise to the Irish ... and, I suspect, it has a relationship with the Blarney Stone.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I consider myself 'single', and send a half dozen anonymous cards (as is the tradition) to those who I feel enjoy being surprised.