Perhaps V-Day is more about convincing yourself that you are loved
By Chris Kerr
Lance Writer
February 11, 2009
Victor Hugo said that “Life’s greatest happiness is to be convinced we are loved.” Now, whether or not there was any hidden malice in this claim, I believe that Hugo’s words should inspire us this Valentine’s Day.
It seems to me that as I grow older, the stomach aches from too much heart-shaped chocolate we received when we were kids are replaced with stomach aches even more severe. Stomach aches from listening to people jabber on about how much they hate Valentine’s Day.
Stomach aches from hearing about ex-lovers, vexed dates, and hexed hopes about finding true love. While the passion-pessimists moan at you from one side, the anti-corporation Hallmark haters wail at the other.
In my opinion, they let Valentine’s Day become a lot like Halloween – people wearing masks. People wear the masks of scarred love and heartache, when underneath the masks lay people longing to be convinced that they are loved. When Emo becomes cool, we shall allow these masks. But Emo is not cool, and we need to start taking the masks off immediately.
We need to start taking back Valentine’s Day. Replace the blues with pink and red, and friends, and beer.
Saint Nicholas was a guy who had a reputation for secret gift-giving, and thus became the model for Santa Clause. But years after people find out that Santa doesn’t exist, they still take advantage of Xmas.
It becomes for many of us an excuse to party and be with friends. Similarly, Saint Valentine was the name of three martyred saints of Ancient Rome, and over time we come to somehow associate the name with Cupid. And again, years after we figure out that the idea of a naked infant angel shooting people with love weapons is pretty absurd, shouldn’t we still party? I think we should.
If you don’t have a date and dinner reservations, worry not. There will be tonnes like you, so get them together and share drinks instead of Valentine’s Day cards. Like Hugo said, life’s greatest happiness is not dinner reservations, roses and chocolate, it is to be convinced that we are loved.
But, for fun, let’s try to convince others that they are loved. And to whoever is reading this, I like beer better than chocolate any day. Have a happy St. Valentine’s Day! Enjoy it responsibly.
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