A Comedy of Eros

It’s coming. There are signs everywhere, and if your eyes have been open at all since the beginning of January, you’ve probably seen the signs yourself. No, I’m not referring to the end of the world, or even more construction on our lovely campus. What I’m talking about can be a lot more irritating than fenced-off areas that necessitate a change in walking patterns for many people. Valentine’s Day is upon us. It is that one special day when we’re reminded that we’re “nobody ’til somebody loves [us].”

Granted, I’m actually looking forward to it this year, so perhaps it’s a bit hypocritical to talk of the frustrations that this day can produce. However, it wasn’t too long ago that I was on the other side of the fence myself.

I was discussing Valentine’s Day frustrations of the past with my friend recently, when something he said made me stop and think. Despite the fact he has a girlfriend, he hates Valentine’s Day because we’re expected to do something nice for the people we care about just because of the date, instead of doing nice things year round because we care about them. There’s a lot of sense in that logic.

Is one day all we can really spare for that special someone? I know that the pace of life is fairly hectic; with exams, work and all the other little distractions that happen to pop up from time to time. However, I have to ask, how hard could it be to take a little time each day to let someone know that you care? No need to go overboard and bombard them with roses and chocolate, sometimes it’s the smaller gestures that are the most meaningful. Unlike those that businesses will try to sell you this time of year, I don’t mean just if you’re seeing someone. We all have friends and families, no matter what our romantic status, and there’s something special about those people as well.

Just because we aren’t romantically involved with them necessarily, doesn’t mean that we can’t let them know that we appreciate them. There is a multitude of ways we can do this, but perhaps the most profound is a sincere thank you.

I realize that many people are perhaps aware of this already, and perhaps even let their friends and family know they are appreciated. And yet, if those individuals are single on Valentine’s Day, such awareness may be of little comfort. To those individuals I offer the top three reasons that it’s not horrible to be single on Valentine’s Day, taken from my own list compiled just last year. 3) Taco Bell qualifies as a legitimate Valentine’s dinner. 2) Being free to make fun of horrible love-song lyrics openly. And the No. 1 reason it’s not horrible to be single on Valentine’s Day – involvement in fist fights over the last box of chocolates in the store is purely optional. Finally, whether, like myself, you are looking forward to Valentine’s Day this year or are dreading it like the plague, remember there are many people out there that we can let know that we care. It is the real spirit of this holiday anyway.