So, by now you’ve noticed a theme in this issue. There’s been a great deal about sex and all the fun, scandalous stuff that goes with it. If you’re enjoying this so far, you might not want to read this article, though I strongly hope you do.
If you’re not enjoying this, this may be the thing for you. I’m going to go into what I believe Valentine’s Day is about; you can take it or leave it , but here is what I have to say.
The story of St. Valentine is this: in a time when marriage in ancient Rome was forbidden, he officiated weddings in secret. When the Romans discovered this, he was imprisoned. According to legend, he fell in love with a blind girl while in prison. The story goes that his faith and love were so powerful they cured her of her blindness. He later sent her a letter, the first she would have read, it said: “From your Valentine.”
By the way, this is not going to be some religious “fire and brimstone” speech, in case you were worried. But I felt the need to start here. The day we’re celebrating is named after St. Valentine after all. This story means one thing to me, (and tell me if you’ve heard this from some Disney movie somewhere): true love conquers all.
This is not physical love, but love of the heart and soul. It is the most pure thing that anyone can feel. Perhaps we don’t see women suddenly recovering their sight as the result of another person’s love every day, but the power of love is on display both in our stories and in our real lives.
For example, since I’m a nerd, I’d like to bring up “Star Wars.” What was it that brought Anakin back from the dark side? It was his love for his son, Luke, who was not available for comment on this article. The emperor couldn’t understand the love that binds a family together, and that was, in the end, what destroyed him.
Getting away from “Star Wars” for a second, I’m sure that everyone has had their own love story tucked away in their mind. It’s that fuzzy little thing we look to when we feel down and need a ray of hope. The ending might not always be happy, but we never fully forget that feeling.
My overall point is this: there’s more to love than what goes on in the bed. I’m no expert on sex see the part that I love “Star Wars” above but I know that such things are always temporary. It comes and goes just like the tide; it never endures.
But that fuzzy feeling, it never goes away. Whether it’s for family, friends or that special someone, it will have an imprint on us for the rest of our lives. And in the end, love is the driving force behind all that is good in this world. Love of kin; love of freedom; love of justice; love of peace; etc.
Therefore, this Valentine’s Day, discover something that you love, and watch it drive you— for your benefit and the benefit of those you care about.