volcanic's Diaryland Diary ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- oh phooey So... Tomorrow it's Valentine's Day. I don't have a problem with that. I have a problem with the over-commercialism of all high days and holidays, and I have a problem with jokey greeting cards and anything adorned with cutesy bears'n'bunnies (especially nightwear- no-one over the age of about seven should have Forever Friends characters on their clothing, in my humble opinion). But I refuse to have a problem with Valentine's day. I'm aware that all over the media- including the internet- there are pages of words bitterly penned by single and lonely people, who seem to think that the whole concept of Valentine's Day is part of an evil global conspiracy to make them feel even uglier and lonelier and more inadequate than they usually feel. It's bullshit. Loneliness can strike at any time, wherever you find yourself. I'm not some kind of saint. I too have felt those pangs of despair and pain and longing when I've seen two people, in love, lost in their own little world, blithely playing out the latest act of their courtship in front of me with total insensitivity to my own loneliness. I've felt it in Paris in October, London in March and even Tenerife in August. Tomorrow I'm going to feel just as lonely and cross as I do today, and as much as I did yesterday and the day before, I imagine. But I'm not going to begrudge anyone else their happiness just because it's Valentine's Day. I wasn't looking forward to it when Arthur and I were still an item, firstly because it's his wedding anniversary, and secondly because I think I'd got to the point where I'd stopped hoping for spontaneous acts of love and generosity from him. (I mean, this is the man who's so tight with his money that he insisted his former wife bought her wedding dress from a charity shop. Anticipating blue boxes from Tiffany or pink bags from Agent Provocateur would have been a little unrealistic of me, I feel...) See, I'm bitter and twisted too. But that's got sod all to do with Valentine's Day- I was feeling pretty damn cheesed off anyway. And as a result, I'm not going to let the festivities of tomorrow spoil my potentially nice day, I've sent a jolly glittery card to my friend's 7 year-old son, I've baked fairy cakes and covered them with shocking pink icing, the infamous edible glitter and sugar flowers, and I'm going to brave the floods and the diverted bus network and go out to the countryside and spend the day with people who love me. I can only suggest that anyone who finds themselves unpartnered and glum tomorrow does the same: go out and spread a little love yourself. It's like they sing at the end of Bugsy Malone "if you give a little love it'll all come back to you (nah-nah-nah-nanana-naah)" Simple, eh? Remind me tomorrow to tell you about the condom. I need to talk to my dear best friend about it first, but then I'll share. Don't worry, I haven't been having sex or anything complicated like that- it's someone else's condom. Or was. Anyway, more about that later... 10:29 a.m. - 13.02.02 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
||||||