Wow, I'm getting too old for this...

Well here we go again, readers. Don't pretend you didn't know this was coming. However, just to inform any potential new readers, know that I may have written scathing, semi-humorous, semi-serious rants against Valentine's Day in the past. You can find them here, and here, and here, and....here. Huh, I've been doing this for a while. This is now my fifth year. Dang, when I started writing these I was just starting my undergrad. Everything is so different now...

Nostalgia isn't funny. Get to the funny.

But to get to my point, well, my point is that I don't really know what I can argue anymore. I've pretty much said it all. Bet you never thought you'd read that, huh? I'm speechless? Well, not quite. 

Thanks to the talented artist over at The Oatmeal, I think I can manage at least one more Valentine's Day post worth your eyes. One of his recent comics, which can be found here at the original site, takes the somewhat ironic position of complaining about the people who complain about Valentine's Day.

It's like the Inception of meaningless complaining.

Is that what I've become? Cliche? Just another bitter single guy projecting my frustrations, incapable of actually making a good, rational argument? Well, if that truly is the case, I would like to at least point out that I started hating Valentine's Day before it was considered cool or mainstream to hate Valentine's Day.

Anyway, let's assume that the writer of the Oatmeal is, like me, using comedy to make a serious argument that he genuinely believes in. If he is, what do you think he would say about Valentine's Day critics? Maybe that we're just bitter for being reminded about our own singleness? After all, if we're only complaining about the massive consumerism and watering-down of Valentine's Day (when all holidays have been violated in this manner), then we're being hypocritical, right? And Valentine's Day is so harmless its impossible to actually have rational reasons for disliking it anyway.

Well, that's a lot of arguments, fictional antagonist with whom I'm now apparently having a conversation. First of all, the watering-down and consumerism of any holiday can be inappropriate, detrimental and destructive. For instance, if I see one more commercial that has Washington and Lincoln dancing around like idiots trying to sell cars, I may have to start a whole new annual rant series. We do still realize that these were good and real men who had an incalculable impact on our nation's history, right? Leave the car sales to businessmen in sleazy suits and random inflatable objects, please. And I won't even get started on how we treat Christmas and Easter, or how incredibly important those days are to millions of people. 

So while I may have been more tolerant of the mass commercialization of other holidays, I wouldn't say the direction any of our holidays has taken has been positive. But this shouldn't even matter, because Valentine's Day is different that our other holidays. It's different not because it has no message, but because the little message it does have is negative and destructive. 

Bottom line, any holiday that celebrates something also will play a significant role in shaping and defining it. And when we're talking about a concept as important as love, we better make sure we're defining it properly as a society. Although you could ask thousands of people and not get the exact same answer as to what is love (baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me, no more), I would like to believe that our first thoughts wouldn't be about cards and flowers, perfect nights and fuzzy feelings. Personally, my faith teaches that love is to be a continual choice and sacrifice, even commanding husbands to be willing to die for their wives. Regardless of one's personal beliefs, however, I think most of us can agree that the obligation-laden, excessive, superficial consumerism promoted by Valentine's Day has little to do with actual love. 

So to briefly sum it up just in case you're still not seeing the difference...

Valentine's Day is about obligation; love is about free choice.

Valentine's Day is about the here and now; love is about perseverance and commitment.

Valentine's Day is about flowers, fancy dates, pretty smiles, and youthful excitement; love is what holds a relationship together once the superficial has melted away. 

So men, please treat all the women in your life right every day of the year, not just on Valentine's Day. You shouldn't need a special day to remind you to do the right thing, the decent thing. And women, don't learn to tolerate anything less. This love thing can be tough to get right, but its totally worth it. And trust me, there's plenty of guys waiting in line for the chance to try to do things the right way if your current guy blows it. *Cough* Ahem. 

I'd like to conclude this post by posting a video from RED's new album. Maybe I'm just looking for any excuse to hype them at this point, but this song in a few words manages to describe love in a manner that I couldn't in an entire blog post. Enjoy. 

Love is never free. Love is not easy. But no one comes out the same. And love will leave a mark.