Valentine’s Day Aftermath

Well, you haven’t slit your wrists, so you live to see another day.  At least, I hope you’ve survived this past Sunday, even if you did slit your wrists in frustration over you’re failing love life.  I frankly don’t desire anyone to die, even people who probably should’ve been buried alive for their crimes against humanity.

In any case, while I am sure that there are people who had a good Valentine’s Day, there are probably tons of single people out there who flunked and spent the day and night alone.  If you were lucky, you probably go the next day off because of President’s Day.  I sympathize with you all, because I used to be where you are.

Now that the dust has settled and you’ve had a good week of work to distract you, you find yourself back in the same position you were in before.  It really sucks and no matter what you do, you’ll find yourself alone with your thoughts just before you go to bed.  Seems a bit dark, I know, but that’s sometimes the reality of life.

Even as a Christian, things aren’t any better.  I should know.  I’ve known Jesus since Seventh Grade and I still went through High School as a lonely, depressed, borderline sociopath.  Eventually, I got over it, but it took me a while.  Needless to say, all the praying in the world didn’t help.  I guess it was because despite God loving a wretch like me, He probably has to let all of us remain a wretch.  At least He didn’t take the same route He took with Job.

It’s really just a big sick joke in my view.  Valentine’s Day is about romantic love and yet too many people dump their sense of self worth into this single day.  It’s pathetic really.  Life sucks and you’re going to spend much of your time chest deep in crap you can’t control.  Romantic entanglements are just more of the same you have to deal with.

The Apostle Paul once wrote that is it better for us to not marry.  While he was addressing a specific audience, I think he believed that of every follower of the Way.  I’m sure he was lonely a lot, just like the rest of us.  But I’m sure he knew something else that most people haven’t quite figured out: romantic engagements don’t make you happy for any long period of time.

You see, we’ve all bought into this sick notion that there is someone else out there for us and that he or she is the only one for us.  That’s a lie and a falsehood that needs to be rejected.  It’s not that I’m a polygamist or asexual.  I love my wife and I have no plans of leaving her.  But I also know that she’s a companion and not the only one.  Granted, if for some God awful reason she died and left me behind, I wouldn’t immediately go out and search for another one.  I probably just wouldn’t bother because I’ve found that I can be just as happy and miserable with or without her.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that married or single, you’ll find yourself in the same state as you were before.  The only real difference is the number of people who will be around you.  But it’s OK, you can have loads of fun either way and I wouldn’t take back what I’ve done for anything.

Find the things you love and do them.  You can’t have fun all the time, but you can recognize that whatever state of despair you find yourself in, it is only temporary.  Just don’t mope around in front of me.  It depresses me.