Single for Valentine's Day?!

Being single on Valentine’s Day has usually resulted in a lamentation of my singleness, in which I chain listen to the Smiths, the Supremes, and a choice selection of hits from the 50s/60s/70s, which all fit together better than it seems. Truthfully, I am listening to the Smiths as I write this paragraph because I am still single and I spectacularly failed to score concert tickets.  [Seriously, a 60-minute wait just to tell me that they are unavailable due to HIGH demand and that a fan ‘might’ give them up, which is absurd logic.  What fan (or ticket gouger) gives up a ticket to see the Boss?] 

Anyway, it is possible to elude that feeling though, in my experience, it remains a complex process.  The difficulty lies in V-Day’s emphasis squarely on romantic relationships, which already enjoy a ‘rite of passage’ space in Western culture.   To better illustrate this point, I invite you to take a moment to think of all the work in which romance appears even if only peripherally.  Combine that with the biological impulse to reproduce, the psychological need for community, and a plethora of advertising and it is little wonder that a person feels lonelier on Valentine’s Day (especially after the ravages of adolescent hormones and as friends marry).  Of course, romantic relationships deserve to be celebrated because they are important for innumerable reasons.  I shutter to think of what the world would look like without them.  Though in an effort to reframe V-Day for a single person, I would place romance into a mosaic of relationships.  From this context, it becomes possible to expand the meaning behind Valentine’s Day to the notion of a relationship itself.  For me the meaning behind ‘relationship’ becomes fantastically grey.  I fold all the varying levels of connection into this one word and Valentine’s Day becomes something completely different.

Hence the intent behind my somewhat crudely drawn Valentine. 

On the one hand, this Valentine transports me back to the primary school view of Valentine’s Day.  In the sense that each person got a store bought card from everyone else and the only things I really cared about were the specialized Valentines from friends and the ritualized take out/movie night with my family.  Additionally, the Valentine is a reminder to acknowledge all the relationships that made an impact in my life; I wouldn’t quite be me without them.  With these views in mind, that persistent  worry about becoming a cat lady (minus the cats) is quieted enough to enjoy a viewing of The Shop Around the Corner while appreciating the relationships I already have.     

Though I drew the image, I had some help from some unknown friends on the internet, who are credited as well as possible:  

Image inspiration: "Heart Illustration." Jpeg. My Amp Goes to 11. 2012. 13 Feb. 2014. <http://myampgoesto11.tumblr.com/post/13505898452/heart-illustration>.

Color reference: "About the Heart." Jpeg. University of Maryland Medical Center. 8 Jul. 2013. 13 Feb. 2014. <http://umm.edu/programs/heart/health/the-heart/anatomy>.

Happy Valentine’s Day to singles, couples, and everything in between!