Here we are again. Valentine's Day.
Stupid holiday.
One of the most unbelievably horrid and useless days of the year.
I don't think I hate any day of the year more than this day. And it's not because of my stretch of not having a significant other to pine over, be with and generally love on this day -- or any day for that matter. It's just such a racket and I'll tell you why.
But 1st, let's go back in time to find the source of this holiday...
Ah, here we are. Approaching the last quarter of 2nd century AD somewhere between 269 and 273. Saint Valentine has been imprisoned for helping and marrying Christians. But you see...the emperor doesn't like Christians and downright persecutes them at this stage of the game. So what does he do to poor Saint Valentine? He has him clubbed. And furthermore -- as is one of the favourite pastimes of this era, many before it and many to come -- stoned (and not the good kind either). And just when Saint V thinks things couldn't possibly get worse...he completely loses his head...literally!! So there he lies...beaten, battered and beheaded. Nothing left to do but bury the guy. February 14th is the day of record when he's laid to rest, so this day is henceforth deemed Valentine's Day. It's the least The Church could do for the guy after what he'd done in their name.
So now we come back to the present. A time where multi-million/billion dollar companies have completely brainwashed people into thinking that this one day a year, above all other days, people MUST go out and buy things for their significant other. A strict emphasis on chocolate, candy, flowers and diamonds & other jewelry is blasted into our brains. And if we don't go out and get these material things for the one(s) we love, we are doomed to the couch, the doghouse or even having the relationships ties severed completely.
You know what I say to that? BULLSHIT!!!!
Love is NOT a one day event. It's an all the time thing. Bunches of flowers, troves of candy, shiny things and whatever else is not love. LOVE is love. The feeling you have inside for your significant other is love. Doing things for them, taking them places and buying things that are uniquely special to them on a random Wednesday for no particular reason other than that you thought of them and wanted to surprise them with a loving gesture...THAT is love. Love is NOT going to the department store, on the same day millions of other people do, and getting the exact same things that millions of other people do, just because it's tradition. I guarantee you...Hallmark, Hershey's and all those other brands that bank on your money this day above all others WILL survive if you don't continue this silly commercial shit-storm of love from Cupid's butthole.
And with that, let this message be heralded with the resounding force of the banhammer...
Cupid is hereby banned!!
Is anybody else with me on this? Anybody? Bueller? Bueller?
Yes, that's how it's pronounced, and it's Fallout 2 reference. The starting location in the game is Arroyo, so I've adjusted it a bit. Fallout is not only my favourite video game of all times (I'm currently playing Fallout 3 again), but it also brings back lovely memories of playing it with my brother when I was much younger.