Since the blog I was intending to post yesterday isn't finished, and I don't feel it's yet in a fit state to publish to the wide world of the internet (I know, it's hard to believe that I care about what I write, but I do, honestly) and since today is Valentine's Day, I've hastily cobbled together this little post with a bit of research and a lot of love and grumpiness in equal measures. And one very furry cat.
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| Wikimedia |
How 'sweet'.
Now, I say research...what I really mean is Wikipedia. I know a lot of people will bring up the old arguments of "but it can be edited by anyone", but it does have references for the information cited, and that's enough proof for me. Granted if it was anything drastically important, I'd do some proper research. But this is a blog not the height of Academia, so that makes it okay, right? Good, now that's settled, let's have a bit of anti-Valentine's fun.
Personally, I've never understood the association of Valentine's Day with love. Just before I'm called a bitter, lonely hermit with a heart the size of a walnut who's just upset that he has no one, I'd like to point out I have a girlfriend (for some reason I can't fathom) so there.
Before I have a little bit of a rant, as I do so love to do, I have nothing against the idea of Valentine's Day per se...granted, it does feel like a bit like someone's shoving a rusty needle through your chest cavity if you don't have someone, but usually I just tend to ignore it. On the one hand it's a great excuse (if you're with someone) to do something extra special, a reason to make the extra effort and remind the other person that even though they must be completely insane for being with you, you appreciate their patience nonetheless.
The bit that gets to me is the enormous, mind-blowing, bigger than an elephant that's taken growth hormones level of pressure forced upon us by society/the media/friends/card companies/etc. [delete as applicable]. Yes, it's a good excuse, but what if you want to do something on a different day? What if you're poor, or you can't be with your other half? Or what if the best thing you can cook is baked beans with a side of baked beans? You must obviously not love the other person enough. You horrible person. No dessert for you.
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| Max Thorpe |
"Darling, I do hope you've reserved us a place at Bella Italia..."
To be honest, we should really treat our partners with this kind of effort every day. But that's logistically and financially impossible, so having a set day can be useful. However, in my opinion that's what anniversaries and so on are for...and really, who needs an excuse? If you fancy doing something nice, just do it, be a Cassanova. You sly dog, you're getting the good loving tonight.
Finally, I'd like to point out that really, Valentine's Day doesn't have anything to do with love. At least, no more than February the 13th or the 15th does. According to my extremely reliable source, there were several Saint Valentine's, a couple of which had their Saint Day celebrated on the 14th February. However, they were all brutally murdered in the name of Christianity. I can feel the love already.
In fact, Valentine's Day didn't really become associated with love until the 15th century, and not popularly so until the 18th and 19th centuries. Now obviously times change and we shouldn't only do things like they used to in ye olden days (otherwise we'd be stoning people every time they said Jehovah), and as I've said the idea of Valentine's itself doesn't annoy me. It's more the over-commercialisation of an otherwise simple idea and the pressure to comply with such that really gets my metaphorical goat.
All that aside, if you're doing something special today, don't let my Scrooginess put you off, you go and have fun, you crazy kids in love. Likewise, if you're alone or don't feel like doing much, good for you.
I'll leave you, as always, with something interesting to think about. There was no punctuation until the 15th century, and we all know how important punctuation is.
Happy Valentine's Day, I guess!
~ Toby
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