January, where art thou?
Perhaps it would be prudent to bullet point the past period of time to bring our tale of chaos up to speed:
~ was appointed to a gargantuan project being directed by the President and CEO
~ was offered a full-time position (full pay and benefits)
~ get to go to Montreal for a week, all expenses paid by the company
~ pushed myself to the brink of exhaustion (see bullet #1)
~ contemplated love, lust, relationships and the webs they weave and the pending occurrence of Valentine’s Day.
Ahh, Valentine’s day, the quintessential holiday of epic marketing proportions. Whereby people celebrating their first one together do so with nervous anticipation and anxiety over gifting protocol and how elaborate of a production to make. Those celebrating for consecutive years tend to take for granted; more of a laissez-faire point of view. For others, the few and true hopeless romantics, they are a category all onto themselves. And for the rest of the human population, it's a day.
Valentine’s Day is sad according to some. Others consider the irony of the initials when put together. I choose to think of Valentine’s Day as s.a.d. – Single’s Awareness Day. Never is there another single calendar day, outside of perhaps Christmas, where a person can be so acutely aware of their singledom. Now that isn’t to say I want all the trappings and trimmings associated with the “Hallmark Holiday” that Valentine’s Day has become – the true essence of it was lost beneath a cascading deluge of cardboard greetings, plush critters and foil clad confectionaries. I just don’t need a specifically allocated day to celebrate my relationship with another. In fact, it is worrisome that we have become a society so consumed by other drives and ambitions that we need a reminder to appreciate those that supposedly mean the most to us. We love hard and fast, take each other for granted, and cast one another side for the simple fact that we can. We all do it; we have all done it at one point or another. We are the archetypal disposable society.
I don’t need a reminder day to want to be held by someone or to hold them close. I don’t need a reminder day to have a romantic dinner, an intimate setting, or to share a glance that says it all. I don’t need a reminder day to crave and to thoroughly savour the enjoyment of my loved one against me. I don’t need a reminder day to languish in the taste of a shared kiss. I still remember the feeling. I will always remember the feeling. And while I do enjoy the freedom that my singledom grants me, I wouldn’t be human if I couldn’t confess to missing it. That said, when I do allow myself to feel and share my life with another – rest assured I won’t need a reminder day.
To all of you in search of love, may all of your searches be bountiful and beautiful, but never forego who you are for the promises of another, and for those of you bound in love’s transcendent possession, may you appreciate every touch, every glance and every embrace as though that moment was never to come again.
There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)
~ was appointed to a gargantuan project being directed by the President and CEO
~ was offered a full-time position (full pay and benefits)
~ get to go to Montreal for a week, all expenses paid by the company
~ pushed myself to the brink of exhaustion (see bullet #1)
~ contemplated love, lust, relationships and the webs they weave and the pending occurrence of Valentine’s Day.
Ahh, Valentine’s day, the quintessential holiday of epic marketing proportions. Whereby people celebrating their first one together do so with nervous anticipation and anxiety over gifting protocol and how elaborate of a production to make. Those celebrating for consecutive years tend to take for granted; more of a laissez-faire point of view. For others, the few and true hopeless romantics, they are a category all onto themselves. And for the rest of the human population, it's a day.
Valentine’s Day is sad according to some. Others consider the irony of the initials when put together. I choose to think of Valentine’s Day as s.a.d. – Single’s Awareness Day. Never is there another single calendar day, outside of perhaps Christmas, where a person can be so acutely aware of their singledom. Now that isn’t to say I want all the trappings and trimmings associated with the “Hallmark Holiday” that Valentine’s Day has become – the true essence of it was lost beneath a cascading deluge of cardboard greetings, plush critters and foil clad confectionaries. I just don’t need a specifically allocated day to celebrate my relationship with another. In fact, it is worrisome that we have become a society so consumed by other drives and ambitions that we need a reminder to appreciate those that supposedly mean the most to us. We love hard and fast, take each other for granted, and cast one another side for the simple fact that we can. We all do it; we have all done it at one point or another. We are the archetypal disposable society.
I don’t need a reminder day to want to be held by someone or to hold them close. I don’t need a reminder day to have a romantic dinner, an intimate setting, or to share a glance that says it all. I don’t need a reminder day to crave and to thoroughly savour the enjoyment of my loved one against me. I don’t need a reminder day to languish in the taste of a shared kiss. I still remember the feeling. I will always remember the feeling. And while I do enjoy the freedom that my singledom grants me, I wouldn’t be human if I couldn’t confess to missing it. That said, when I do allow myself to feel and share my life with another – rest assured I won’t need a reminder day.
To all of you in search of love, may all of your searches be bountiful and beautiful, but never forego who you are for the promises of another, and for those of you bound in love’s transcendent possession, may you appreciate every touch, every glance and every embrace as though that moment was never to come again.
There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 - 1900)
Copyrighted by Okami 7:55 AM
8 Comments:
This comment has been removed by the author.
Well said, as always, Okami.
Now with respect to your opening summary, I'm just hoping that your new title isn't something as unfortunate as "Gargantuan Project Manager"
I'm inclined to agree.
Valentines day always seems contrived to me, whether I am in love or not.
As you say, those truly in love don't really need a specific day to remind them of that fact, and the only purpose it serves to such people is a reminder that their unity trancends cards and flowers on 1/365 of the year.
Years roll and tumble on, and the markers laid down in love rarely fall on the same day in each calender circle of the sun.
Consider this: To propose on Valentine's day is cliched, but to break up that day is romantic
For the sake of poetry, if nothing else.
Lovely!
Like you say, it's just a day - if I'm in a relationship, I'm inclined to treat it like christmas - a nice exchange of presents and some kind of celebration.
If I'm not, well, life goes on. I think singletons get too worked up about it to be honest...
On another note - one of the nicest things ever in blog-land is to somewhat randomly discover an unsolicited link to your own blog - thanks! :o)
It is just a day. The wife and I had a quick talk about it and we both came to realize that we don't care that much. We're planning on recognizing the day when it approaches, we got each other cards (we were with each other when we got them,) and we've got dinner plans (Fatburger take-out, we'll eat while we play video games.) There will be no giving of flowers, chocolate, or jewelry. For our gift, we've decided to pool our money for a Wii! Aside from the cards, it could be any random day of the year. (We want the Wii and would have purchased it regardless. This just gives us an excuse to say we got a Valentine's Day present.)
It's a crap holiday, really.
Joe: Thankfully, no it doesn't.
Ultra: I'm just lost on the notion as to why it is referred to as a holiday - regardless, as you say, whether I am in love or not.
Ant: Welcome! And while I agree that many singletons tend to take it out of proportion, the same can also be said of couples who feel the need - or obligation - to make it some gradeous statement on which the very future of their relationship hinges upon the outcome...eep.
"Somewhat randomly"? - I take it that is the scientific unit of measurement for such discoveries?
;) Glad you don't mind the link being there.
Doug: Well done for actually having the discussion with your wife re: expectations and mutual apathy for this particular 'festive celebration'. Many people don't, which tends to lead to a great deal of differing expectations.
let me know when you have some time, maybe we can compare project nightmares over dayquil?
The only way Valentines Day could possibly be considered a 'holiday' is by the rationale that it represents a 24hr respite from the gruelling task of forgetting I have no girlfriend.
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