Valentine's Day

Once again it’s that time of the year. That special day that is celebrated all over the world. A day called Valentine’s Day. It is two days before V’day but the media has already started giving the love a week ago. News paper articles on singles coming out of the dark ages to confess that they are seeking dating agency and no longer want to remain single. This is of course good news for the government, in a couple of years they will be seeing more stokes.
But the question is what is Valentine’s day and what does it really imply? As far as I know V’day is a day to express your love. But it seems this expression of love is limited only to a specific group of people. Basically, the heterosexual couples.
Take for instance yesterday, I met a friend of mine who I have not seen for nearly a year. We were catching up with each other and our conversation eventually lead to relationships. I told her that I was going to send a Valentine’s day card to one of my classmates and this was how the conversation went,

She: Ooohhh so who is the guy? (sly smile)
Me: Woah! It is not what you think. He is just a friend
She: That is what they always say in the beginning
Me: No, I mean seriously he is just my friend.
I like him as a friend and nothing more
(She started shaking her head)
She : Don’t give him the card
Me: Why?
She: You will be sending the wrong message
Me: Okay then I will explain in the card that we are friends
She: Oh no! That will make it worst. Now he will wondering why you
have to explain. So it means something then.

I am still pondering if I should give that particular colleague a card. Isn’t Valentine’s day for everyone? But the answer is evidently no. Just have a look at the commercials in the newspaper and TV. It is either a man or a woman having a romantic candle light dinner or the man proposing on his knee to the girl. Have you ever seen a valentine ad where a girl gives another girl a gift or Dad giving a daughter a rose? The second ad would seem more incestuous in nature. Thus, you see how such a special day is actually in turn a day only entitled to some. I am not here to condemn the day but I am looking at the dept of the issue. What happens to those people who have no respective other? What if your spouse is of the same gender? Are they entitled to celebrate Valentine’s day?
These questions reflect the society we live in. It is a bias society. The norm is set by the majority. Those who fail to compile to it are considered deviant and have to face the consequences.
On Valentine’s day those who have no respective others are not entitled to the benefits that couples get. You don’t see ads saying, “Bring your friend along and enjoy a nice cottage near the beach with a romantic dinner.” Most of the time they are ostracized. Even same gendered people are treated differently on such occasions, not to mention that eyebrow raising look when you tell them you are together.
Society tries to conform everyone and does not accept deviants. It is terrible but it is truth. It is just that people don’t understand the fact that just because majority’s rule is a norm that does not mean that they have to feel pressured for being a deviant. It is just a social construct and believe it or not maybe the next century the concept of Valentine might just change. Just like how masturbation is being psychological accepted as a form of stress relieve in today’s world.
So after giving much thought over this issue, I have decided that I am not going to give the guy the card. I have decided instead to treat myself to a nice New York cheesecake. After all who is going to spend $5.50 to buy a card which he probably going to throw away next year. I shall just give that whole lot of love to myself. I mean who knows myself better than me!