Song: A Stone, Okkervil River
February 14. Valentine's Day. The day that originated in honor of the Italian saint, Valentine. Apparently he was a priest in Rome. Wikipedia says that he was martyred? Who knows. Who really cares about the real St. Valentine on a day of love?
Through my years of grammar school and high school, February 14th was just a day 96 hours before my birthday. It was a day of filling out pre-made cards worrying that I will accidently give one of the 11 boys a card that suggested I liked them. It was a day of candy and maybe a movie in a couple of classes. I always felt like it was a made up holiday. This year has given me a new view on the 14th day of February. Maybe my new thought is a little more positive.
I walked down to the lobby of my dorm and saw a counter full of balloons, flowers, and gift baskets. As much as I knew none of them were for me, I was still kind of hoping. I don't know who I was hoping they were from. After the first time I walked by them I decided to give up any hope that I had any gift for me on that counter. I wasn't upset by any means that I didn't have a shipment considering there is no one that should be sending one. It's the thought of having someone to expect one from.
The rest of my day was full of Panera eating with Annie and her parents, watching I'm Not There [the Bob Dylan movie] with Erin and Jose, working on some homework at a really cool cafe, watching The Notebook with Erin and Jose [am I in a relationship with them?] going to a bar for a little bit, then watching The Little Mermaid.
After I watched I'm Not There I wasn't in the mood to go to a basketball game. I was kind of in the mood to be by myself. I walked about a mile and a half to go to the cool cafe. I walked there listening to Bob Dylan and thinking about the beautiful weather. Since the cafe is downtown, I was able to see some of the couples going out to their nice dinners. So excited to be with their loved ones. I got to the cafe and I got a couch by the window where I continued to listen to my iPod and read about meiosis. It was a nice little date with myself. I got things accomplished and I was able to do some great people watching. I saw one couple that I know from Marquette. I saw a whole family out. I saw some couples taking horse and buggy rides, even though it wasn't ideal weather for it. And I also saw people just walking by themselves to some unknown destinations. When I was done with meiosis, I packed up and headed out of Mocha.
I was doing some thinking on this 'made up holiday' and I've come to the conclusion that, although not many people even know why St. Valentine's Day is celebrated with flowers, I'm okay with it. Although I have no one to send me flowers, that doesn't mean other people can't enjoy the flowers the receive! The day is another day for every to celebrate their love for other people. It's not a day to rub it in single people's faces that they don't have a significant other. It is just one more reason for couples to be together.
I'm sure if I were in a relationship I wouldn't even care for the flowers, but since I'm not I want them. You always want what you can't have.
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