I’m starting to see red. And I’m not talking about anger here. I’m talking about that annual human ritual called Valentine’s Season (in the Philippines, it’s a Season, not just a Day). Red hearts, red roses, red everywhere. Just like Christmas, people see it as something very special, worth noting, remembering, and preparing for. In a way, it’s a good thing. The idea of love is a good thing, yes? But oh, just like Christmas, love has always been an abused idea.
Ever since February began, I’ve been getting the same annual looks and questions from most everyone who’s acquainted with me – the undying “Do you have a date on Valentine’s Day?,” or “Any romance on Valentine’s Day?” And they always manage to imply that you ought to feel inadequate or alienated when your answer is “No.” Why? I’ve always wondered where the notion of love as the be-all and end-all of all things began. And if the idea has always been around, does that mean it’s true? Is it really necessary to look down upon people when they don’t have this “romance” in their lives? Can happiness only be measured by the presence of "romantic" love? It’s all so strange to me.
Someone once told me, there’s no real St. Valentine. He was a fictional saint “invented” by the Catholic church to promote and perpetuate the idea of romantic love so that more people would get married, hence, more income for the church. After all, people pay the church for weddings, and when the union bears fruit, the parents will have to pay for their children’s baptisms, confirmations, first communions, weddings, and so on and so forth. Sacraments aren’t exactly free of charge, and the church does need money (who doesn’t?), hence, St. Valentine – a very useful saint, indeed. I never got around to investigate this, but since it’s Valentine’s Season again, I just might try to look into it. It’s all so strange to me.
Love is everywhere again; or at least the IDEA of love is popular again. Nothing bad about that, right? Love is always a good thing, yes? But it has always been an abused and abusive idea. Too many people believe they are unhappy because they don’t have “romance” in their lives. So no matter how much they achieve, or how much good they contribute to the world, they feel unsatisfied. And too often in their desperation to find this idea of “love”, they end up in a lot of terrible situations. It’s all so strange to me.
Love is strange. Love is a stranger; at least to me it sometimes is. I’m not complaining though. I have all sorts of love in my life, strange and otherwise. And it’s more than enough strangeness for me.
Nevertheless, on the off-chance something good might actually come out of well-wishing, and for whatever it’s worth, Happy Valentine’s Season to everyone!
(posted elsewhere 11 Feb 2006)
Ever since February began, I’ve been getting the same annual looks and questions from most everyone who’s acquainted with me – the undying “Do you have a date on Valentine’s Day?,” or “Any romance on Valentine’s Day?” And they always manage to imply that you ought to feel inadequate or alienated when your answer is “No.” Why? I’ve always wondered where the notion of love as the be-all and end-all of all things began. And if the idea has always been around, does that mean it’s true? Is it really necessary to look down upon people when they don’t have this “romance” in their lives? Can happiness only be measured by the presence of "romantic" love? It’s all so strange to me.
Someone once told me, there’s no real St. Valentine. He was a fictional saint “invented” by the Catholic church to promote and perpetuate the idea of romantic love so that more people would get married, hence, more income for the church. After all, people pay the church for weddings, and when the union bears fruit, the parents will have to pay for their children’s baptisms, confirmations, first communions, weddings, and so on and so forth. Sacraments aren’t exactly free of charge, and the church does need money (who doesn’t?), hence, St. Valentine – a very useful saint, indeed. I never got around to investigate this, but since it’s Valentine’s Season again, I just might try to look into it. It’s all so strange to me.
Love is everywhere again; or at least the IDEA of love is popular again. Nothing bad about that, right? Love is always a good thing, yes? But it has always been an abused and abusive idea. Too many people believe they are unhappy because they don’t have “romance” in their lives. So no matter how much they achieve, or how much good they contribute to the world, they feel unsatisfied. And too often in their desperation to find this idea of “love”, they end up in a lot of terrible situations. It’s all so strange to me.
Love is strange. Love is a stranger; at least to me it sometimes is. I’m not complaining though. I have all sorts of love in my life, strange and otherwise. And it’s more than enough strangeness for me.
Nevertheless, on the off-chance something good might actually come out of well-wishing, and for whatever it’s worth, Happy Valentine’s Season to everyone!
(posted elsewhere 11 Feb 2006)
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