saint valentine was a real pimp in his day. against the wishes of the king of rome [claudius], a big gangsta, pimp was marrying the christian kids of the villages of rome. baller claud found out about pimp, pimp tried swaying baller and king baller claud ordered val to death. I'd compare val to friar john from romeo & juliet. against the king's order, he was joining these couples in marriage. it sounds sweet and endearing. and truthfully, I believe it is. I find LOVE to be an outstanding & magnificent, even magical, 'verb'. the idea that these couples would be married while imprisoned makes what val did extraordinary.
well, he pissed off the king, so they ordered him to be beaten and stoned. when the beating and stoning didn't kill him, they had him beheaded. gruesome end to what could have been a beautiful love story, huh?! now, granted this took place around 496, I get that part, but I can't wrap my mind around the above listed lame gifts. LOVE shouldn't be celebrated once a year on a day that saint val was MURDERED. that's right people, he was KILLED on 2.14. it wasn't some spectacular day of love. he was beheaded. and there you are gushing over in some multi-manufactured hallmark card about your UNDYING LOVE. you gave him or her a dust bunny collecting stuffed bear? do I need to present the history of "Teddy Bears" to you too? and the chocolate. I, for one, LOVE chocolate. rich, creamy 70% dark chocolate. not that dry brittle crumble in my mouth, bring me a glass of milk before I choke chocolate. and if you're gonna buy your girl jewelry, I realize ben bridge and kay have cornered the market in mass produced charms, bracelets, rings, diamond pendants etc., but did it ever occur to you that you could try a classy joint like tiffany's? yes! tiffany's! for the money you'd spend on buying her what is intended to be 'unique' [but you know it isn't], you could buy a quality piece she'll never forget.
but my point, here, isn't to point you in the direction of hand written love letters over cards. truth is, you should be sending love notes to one another all day everyday anyway. with today's technology there is zero excuses. what's that? you say you don't own a cell phone? guess what?! staples sells paper in an array of colors and they might even sell you a pen to write with. and the truth is, when you hand over a box of chocolate, she is praying to goddess she'll find that hidden piece of jewelry in one of those gross pieces of candy that by weeks end will be a mutilated box of mush; half eaten cherry oozing gunk, and disappointment. and truth is, unless she's 12, when you think about picking up the rainbow colored stuffed buddy bear, snap out of it! again, a dust bunny collecting, allergy ridden, garage sale item. keep walking!
I'm not here to shatter anyone's views of what valentine's day might mean to them. for some, this was the day they were proposed to, married on or for many, were dumped. what I'm hoping to convey with my bitter tasting, hard to swallow truth, is this. LOVE should be celebrated every day! from the point that you open your eyes, be in-love. rekindle that love affair you started with your better half. preparing special meals, sending love letters, plan date nights, do something that says "I LOVE YOU".
if you feel you must acknowledge february 14th, at the least be creative. flowers don't always have to be roses and they don't necessarily need to come from conroy's [another chain establishment offering zero originality]. and if you're planning a dinner, research some of the quieter, more intimate spots where you feel like its just the two of you in your own LOVE bubble. celebrate YOUR love uniquely. don't rely on the media to guide you because they only aim to deceive and manipulate you. and write a LOVE letter. seriously! when was the last time you wrote one? maybe when you first began courting you may have sent a cheesy poem or love note? well, whatever it was that you did, it got you status in his or her life. maintain and sustain every single day!! I can't say it enough. and if you're one who celebrates, again, be unique, be all about the LOVE.
“love is the condition in which the happiness of another person is essential to your own.” | robert heinlein
