Editor's Blog Feb 14th 2012
THE ANTI VALENTINE
Although Valentines Day is about significant others, the origins are somewhat darker. St Valentine died after being tortured and beheaded in 269AD. Legend has it that he left a farewell note for the jailer’s daughter, with whom he had become quite cosy. He had signed it from your Valentine.
St Valentine’s only crime was to go against the wishes of the Emperor Claudius by marring couples when Claudius had decreed that there where to be no more marriages to encourage single men to join the legions.
In modern times men and women lose their heads in a more metaphorical way, as love can make you say and do some really stupid things, its one of those emotions that goes against all logic.
But being humans, it’s in our nature to love and be loved, no matter what the end result would be. Whether a long and lasting relationship or a short fiery one, it has the power to lift us to the greatest heights, or take us to the depths of despair.
It is said that one of the most depressing things for a human is to be alone; with a recent study showing loneliness can even be fatal, especially in single men. Why, as thinking animals, do we suffer solitude? Why can’t we survive alone?
On this day, while many people try to connect with a significant other or lavish their partners with gifts to profess their love to one another, what I tend to think of is, why this one day, why not every day…I will tell you why, because we are also fickle creatures and our love for someone can change in a heartbeat.
Ed.
