A reason to forget

Okay I know this is late but I’m going to blog about it anyway.

Already 10 days have passed since the celebration of Valentines Day and during this occasion; several people took the initiative to write something about it. Many of whom either described the occasion with that much romance or just created a mockery out of it.

Hence how can I be left out? Let us now begin with my side of the story.

Last week the local paper wrote, “Valentine’s Day is an endorsement for a man in love – already an irrational and reckless creature at most other times – to elevate absurdity to new levels. Women, often the more sensible of the species, appear to be content to sit back and observed in amusement, as men turn into ingratiating and embarrassingly inept romantics on this day.”

For many of us Valentines Day only pretends to celebrate what we like about love while actually undermining it. Over time, as it ripens over devotion, love is simply a favor rendered, a sudden kiss, a private joke, and flowers for no reason. For those who feel well loved, everyday, of course, is Valentines Day. For the rest, no card can console.

Guess that’s why Valentines Day is often so nicely ridiculed and has inspired its own insurgency, “Singes Awareness Day,” in which the unattached celebrate their solitude. Despite this, looking for a Valentines Day gift is probably the most difficult shopping experience because unlike Christmas, or birthday presents, these gifts reflect not only taste and affection but the degree of commitment as well.

During this day, experts argue, is giving lingerie a turn on or just tacky? Restaurants sweeten the menu and hike the prices; Christian websites offer Valentine messages from God. You can buy a heart shaped potato on Ebay. It comes in a red box.

This got me wondering, how can a mere object, be the measure of love? Are these mortals merely in love with the idea of being in love?

Yet, there’s nothing wrong, of course, with delighting in love and honoring friendship and stopping in the middle of something to tickle the people we love. But it’s also a good sign of psychosocial health if the day just saunters by and winks and you feel no need to pay any sort of attention to it whatsoever.

And I have a legitimate reason for this because, the minute celebrating love feels like a duty, it has already lost its purpose.

So now after 10 days, may I ask how your Valentines Day was?