The Dangers of V.D.

I shouldn't even step into a store after January 1st.  Definitely not drugstores or any store that sells cards, chocolate, candy and the like.

It happens every year.  Stores become infested with V.D.

Insert big Archie Bunker BTHHHHHHHHTTTTHHHT!

Suddenly too cutesy stuffed animals, red mylar balloons with declarations of devotion, ugly wrapped candy and chocolate hearts and flowers and disgusting cards are put at every checkout counter.  And PINK & RED everywhere!  

Oh!  It's V.D.

All the world loves a lover!

GAG ME!

What the hell does all this crap have to do with love anyway?!!

Let's take the heart for instance.

Now, this is a heart.

How did they come up with this as a representation???

And why??

In Greek & Biblical times, it was thought that love and emotion came from the bowels.  Love is not in the heart. It's in the mind.  How about cards that had this on it?:

Standard symbol of love should look more like:

Cards might read "I [brain] You!" or, to be fun, you might play with the word and say things like:
     "You [brain] me together" - (you bring me together)
      "I [brain] you nothing but love, baby!"

But it's not just this stupid symbolism that gets to me. It's the fact of the charade.  I find it hard to believe that people go through this every year - forced "romance."  What's even harder to believe is that, apparently, men somehow tend to forget the holiday.

But I digress.

It's the Happy Happy Joy Joy aspect that really sticks in my craw.

All the world loves a lover.

You're nobody unless somebody loves you.  (click on the video for soundtrack)

Why do I feel myself transported back to high school? It's spring and I still don't have a date for prom!  

Another holiday dedicated  togetherness and love?  What?  We just got through New Years - where really, it's all about having someone to kiss at that magic moment.  Before that was Christmas - family love and together time - what? single? oh.  And lets not forget Thanksgiving, when the family gathers around the table with their loved ones . .  oh yeah, I don't have one.

Nevermind those holidays. Nah – back to the holiday about christian martyrs symbolized by naked babies shooting arrows at people and the mutual exchange of depictions of body parts. Yeah, that holiday.

I love Halloween.

Oh, there I go again off-topic.

I recently saw one of the funniest (read: real) depictions of this holiday on the TV show Grey's Anatomy.

Young Dr.: So, anybody got any good Valentines Day plans?

Dr. Teddy Altman: My husband died in this O.R. a month ago. Dr. Yang performed the surgery I was in a seven hour surgery and didn't know that he died. Dr. Hunt kept that a secret. So I don't speak to him.  
He wants a baby, Dr. Yang doesn't. So, they don't speak to each other. Even though they're married.
So. No.
How about you?

Young Dr.: My girlfriend and I . . . ugh. Nothing. Nothing.

This is what makes Valentines Day so infuriating. The stupidity of the celebrants. Young Dr., after listening to everything that Dr. Altman said, was about to launch into his plans and stopped after getting nasty looks (and perhaps a kick under the table).   People in love can be so utterly callous about those who aren't. All that talk about emotions and empathy seems to be chucked at the door while they rub our noses in their roses.

Love makes people stupid.

I don't suffer fools gladly.

Can one become immune to love-sickness?