Happy Anti-Valentine's Day!

I’ve been fairly lucky in my past relationships.  Almost all the women I dated were as anti-material as I am and thought Valentine’s Day to be nothing more than a commercially driven excuse for romance.

Well, I’ll just have to assume they were telling me the truth.  I may or may not have done nominal things for them (house work, dinner, etc.), but that is not the point. The point is: Why should one day of the year be about gift giving, romanticism, and Hallmark cards? 

I hereby declare today Anti-Valentine’s Day. 

For the coupled folks: Go and do your consumer things.  I won’t hold it against you.  But you bloody better well have a romantic escapade again before next Valentine’s Day.  Love encompasses all time and no time.  A calendar day does not love make.

For the single folks: Do not sit at home and feel sorry for yourself.  So what, love hasn’t found you yet this year.  Don’t let February 14th be a day of PBR and sorrow.  I guarantee you, there are many a-folks sitting at the bar being miserable for no good reason. 

If you feel miserable about being single on February 13th or 15th, I can’t help you.  You should do the opposite today.  Go out to a bar, look for that lady (or gent) who seems to be as miserable as you, and ask them to be your “anti-Valentine.”  You may not get their heart, but you’ll at least get a smile.  And hopefully a phone number…

Personally, I could care less.  Today is just another day.  And yes, I’m the type to pull practical jokes on April 2nd too. 

I close my Valentine’s day rant with one of my favorite songs of all time.  I really wanted to send these lyrics to an ex-girlfriend of mine, but that’s even a little churlish for me.


You Don't Know What Love Is


You don't know what love is
Until you've learned the meaning of the blues
Until you've lost a love you've had to lose
You don't know what love is.


You don't know how lips hurt
Until you've kissed and had to pay the cost
Until you've flipped your heart and you have lost
You don't know what love is.


Do you know how a lost heart fears
The thought of reminiscing?
Lips that taste of tears
Lose their taste for kissing.


You don't know how hearts burn
For love that cannot live yet never dies
Until you've faced each dawn with sleepless eyes
You don't know what love is.

~

Elvis Costello & Chet Baker do a magical job of emoting the meaning of the song.  Enjoy today as if you would any other day – whether you have a date or not!

~

I have much to do this evening (people still work, it’s not a national holiday), but tomorrow I’m going to write about checking up on your potential dates.  It’s actually an extremely serious thing and don’t want to rush through it.

Rest easy single people – the day for love shall come.