Sunday, February 14, 2010
Happy Valentine's Day!
Today is an incredibly special day for a number of reasons. One, today is the sixth birthday of the Exploding Gopher. While the actual blog's age doesn't matter, as this is the first post in almost two years, it also marks my sixth year as a member of the blogging world. I have worked through many, many, many, many, many different forums for expressing myself through words, and the promise of free-form online writing has always been alluring to me. Though I have certainly taken some significant breaks from this world, I think it's clear that the blogosphere (and particularly Blogger, itself) has hosted and put up with a good share of my musing.
Second, and more importantly, I recently had a rather surprising opportunity to revisit this original blog project. Like reading through an old journal or diary, the experience was confusing, enlightening, and embarrassing. Sometimes I wrote about what I was thinking but not about what was happening; sometimes I did the opposite. Oftentimes I merely spit out a response to other kinds of media--books, articles, movies, or music. Regardless, reading a host of old writing from my past, particularly the first political writing I ever did, plainly reveals the ways I've grown since I was a young teen. I have, to a certain degree, grown out of my cynicism and negativity. I have refined my political views to make them more logical and consistent with the values by which I want to live. I have experienced living on my own, graduating from university, making my own money, learning to work with children, and connecting with religion and God in a way I never knew possible.
I have also experienced love. I am no expert on the subject, and I will admit that I have a lot to learn when it comes to relationships. However, I also no longer believe that Valentine's Day is a complete sham. Yes, it is a Hallmark holiday. Yes, sometimes the message of a holiday (any holiday) can get messed up by consumerism. Valentine's Day, however, is an opportunity for us to celebrate love. If you can get past the candy hearts, the cutesy cards, the stuffed Cupids with heart-shaped bow-and-arrows, and the red and pink decorations which engulf the aisles of the grocery store, you can actually find something quite meaningful.
In elementary school, Valentine's Day was the day that everybody brought in their piles of cards and candy to class. Remember to bring one for everyone! When you're little, everyone gets to have lots of Valentines. It was a day to walk around and drop your cards in everyone's decorated mail boxes and even a chance to slip a secret note to the one person you really liked. It was one of my favorite days back then, but I lost sight of that carefree happiness. We tend to get tunnel-vision around days like today, and when we don't have a "special someone" with whom we can share the holiday, we end up wanting greeting cards that say "Happy Singles Awareness Day!" But that's not really what Valentine's Day is about either. If anything, it's an opportunity to remind the people in our lives that we love them, and God knows that our world needs more of that.
Finally, I have a not-so-secret note to slip into someone's Valentine's Day mailbox:
I have been lucky enough to be in a relationship with a truly remarkable and beautiful young woman over the past year and a half (ish). She has positively changed my life in every way, and I know that I am a better person for her influence. Whether we're going out with friends, cooking up a storm, or just sitting together playing Nintendo (I know, a girl who plays video games with me--she's a keeper), it's clear that my life would simply not be the same without her. I look forward to seeing her every day. So, Becca, this one's for you:
Happy Valentine's Day. I love you.
Second, and more importantly, I recently had a rather surprising opportunity to revisit this original blog project. Like reading through an old journal or diary, the experience was confusing, enlightening, and embarrassing. Sometimes I wrote about what I was thinking but not about what was happening; sometimes I did the opposite. Oftentimes I merely spit out a response to other kinds of media--books, articles, movies, or music. Regardless, reading a host of old writing from my past, particularly the first political writing I ever did, plainly reveals the ways I've grown since I was a young teen. I have, to a certain degree, grown out of my cynicism and negativity. I have refined my political views to make them more logical and consistent with the values by which I want to live. I have experienced living on my own, graduating from university, making my own money, learning to work with children, and connecting with religion and God in a way I never knew possible.
I have also experienced love. I am no expert on the subject, and I will admit that I have a lot to learn when it comes to relationships. However, I also no longer believe that Valentine's Day is a complete sham. Yes, it is a Hallmark holiday. Yes, sometimes the message of a holiday (any holiday) can get messed up by consumerism. Valentine's Day, however, is an opportunity for us to celebrate love. If you can get past the candy hearts, the cutesy cards, the stuffed Cupids with heart-shaped bow-and-arrows, and the red and pink decorations which engulf the aisles of the grocery store, you can actually find something quite meaningful.
In elementary school, Valentine's Day was the day that everybody brought in their piles of cards and candy to class. Remember to bring one for everyone! When you're little, everyone gets to have lots of Valentines. It was a day to walk around and drop your cards in everyone's decorated mail boxes and even a chance to slip a secret note to the one person you really liked. It was one of my favorite days back then, but I lost sight of that carefree happiness. We tend to get tunnel-vision around days like today, and when we don't have a "special someone" with whom we can share the holiday, we end up wanting greeting cards that say "Happy Singles Awareness Day!" But that's not really what Valentine's Day is about either. If anything, it's an opportunity to remind the people in our lives that we love them, and God knows that our world needs more of that.
Finally, I have a not-so-secret note to slip into someone's Valentine's Day mailbox:
I have been lucky enough to be in a relationship with a truly remarkable and beautiful young woman over the past year and a half (ish). She has positively changed my life in every way, and I know that I am a better person for her influence. Whether we're going out with friends, cooking up a storm, or just sitting together playing Nintendo (I know, a girl who plays video games with me--she's a keeper), it's clear that my life would simply not be the same without her. I look forward to seeing her every day. So, Becca, this one's for you:
Happy Valentine's Day. I love you.
Labels: becca, blogging, friends, holidays, love, personal, valentine's day
