Valentine's Day
2/14/01 - Yes, that is correct. This makes 3 weeks in a row I've updated on Wednesday. It's almost turning into a regular thing. Maybe it's because my classes are pretty much over for the week on Wednesday, and typing up my thoughts of the past week is a nice way of relaxing. Without furher ado, I begin my comments on Valentine's Day. (if you didn't see that coming you should really watch the dates on these things)
Valentine's Day. It's an interesting holiday, and has as many interpretations as there are people. Some people see it as a day to show your love for your significant other, but there are those that argue that you should show your love everyday. Why should everyone be forced to show their love on the same day? Is it to promote couple-dom over single-ness? Or is it the day when people should finally reveal those feelings that they've been hiding for so long? Did the chocolate and flower people (not the people made of chocolate and flowers, the people that sell them, DUH) invent the holiday to bump up their profits in an otherwise lackluster month? Or does it all go back to that good 'ol pagan god of love, Cupid? I don't know where it came from, but I kinda like the holiday, even if there are not-so-nice motives involved.
Why would I enjoy such a commercialized holiday? Do I have stock in Hallmark or Russell Stover Chocolates that somehow gives me a conflict of interest in promothing it? No, (although that seems like a good idea... hmmm....) I just think it's great that one day a year people will let you do nice things for them without complaining too much. Girlfriends require that you do nice things pretty often, and for even putting up with us guys they deserve something special, but that's not what I'm thinking about. Regular old friends (both male and female) usually don't respond well to random acts of kindness. For example, if on July 14th you showed up at a friends house and brought a cake, or candy, or flowers, or beer, or whatever this particular friend like, and said "You're a great friend, have this" they'd probably take it out of kindness, but they'd think you were pretty weird. However, if you do this on Valentine's Day, and append the traditional "Happy Valentine's Day" message at the end of your offering, it would be sure to be accepted, and the person would think you're a really great friend. See the difference? In one case the giver is seen as a weird but extra generous friend, whereas in the other the giver is seen as someone with a lot of Valentine's Day spirit. Why is that? The motives are probably the same in both cases, the day of delivery is just different.
So what am I trying to say? That Valentine's Day is a great day to show you care about people because doing the same nice things on that day somehow magnifies them beyond the original niceness. I should make pancakes, because there's definitely enough sap in that sentence. Oh well, Happy Valentine's Day, and next year remember that Valentine's Day is a day to show you care about all the people in your life.-Luke