This is that time of year when all the Oracles of the World advise us on how not to get carried away by the festivities surrounding the commercial crass exhibition of the most sacrosanct feeling of love towards another human being of opposite or same-sex( to be politically correct ). This exhibition is popularly known as the festival of Valentine’s Day. The air is transformed. The mood is changed. Uncle scrooges start splurging on esoteric gifts for their Valentines. Marketeers put their hats in the gold rush to catch the last penny of the loosened purse strings. After an eventful January with rising inflation in the US and amidst the concerns of World War in the eastern bloc, we saw the dawn of Feb. We were bombarded with adverts of events, offers around the festivities marked for Feb 14. The budget session in India was drowned in the political cacophony of elections in major states. The political slugfest in Maharashtra sunk to its new depths of ignominy. We all were looking forward to Feb 14th. But the cruel calendar of 2022 resulted in a 50% drop for all Valentine markets. Monday is a very cruel day even if it is Valentine's Day. All my plans were dropped and my destiny led me to the tryst with one of such Oracles of the World I dread. I had a conversation with this Gentleman during the course of which he shared his gems of wisdom covering every aspect of current issues surrounding the Valentine Nation on this Feb14th.
This gentleman always starts with the Zeroth law of an issue. “Why there should be a single day of love? It should be perpetual? This was the five hundred and sixty-ninth time I have heard this argument in my life. The only solace was that 569 is a prime number.
This gentleman is driven by History. “I can tell you that at the root of our modern holiday is a beautiful fiction. St. Valentine was no lover or patron of love. Valentine’s Day, in fact, originated as a liturgical feast to celebrate the decapitation of a third-century Christian martyr, or perhaps two. So, how did we get from beheading to betrothing on Valentine’s Day?’ Then he put me across history class comprising of Early Origins of St. Valentine, about the martyr's names St Valentine and how they were not romantic, medieval legends, some pagan origins, Chaucer and his Canterbury Tales, Shakespeare’s lovestruck Ophelia speaking of herself as Hamlet’s Valentine. Englishmen and women began using Feb. 14 as an excuse to pen verses to their love objects. Industrialization made it easier with mass-produced illustrated cards adorned with smarmy poetry. Then along came Cadbury, Hershey’s, and other chocolate manufacturers marketing sweets for one’s sweetheart on Valentine’s Day. Hush! I simply didn’t want to take more.
This gentleman is a reformer he wants to change everything. “If at all you want to celebrate a day of love, why not celebrate like thanksgiving or memorial day when a specific weekend is designated for people to celebrate instead of a Calendar day? How can I convince him that any change takes time and this request is last on the waiting list of changes desired? People have been asking to do away with that dreadful clock adjustment for the daylight in the western hemisphere for many years.
This gentleman is a champion of Individual freedom. “Why should I succumb to the peer pressure and gift away my fortune on a Valentine Gift or spend the irrational amount of money to dine at overrated, poorly decorated, and crowded venues?” I wanted to point him out with the conviction of Copernicus or Socrates that he always had that choice so why does he have to make this as a cause of unrest?
This gentleman believes in the liberal welfare state. “Government should sponsor events where you can meet your prospective Valentine at subsidized rates. The government also should invest in technologies where one can do live matchmaking. This will not leave any Individual not having any Valentine and without any celebration.” Government has no business to do business but should heavily play cupid to the loveless souls. I just imagine party manifestoes written in India. There will be primetime Debates about the pros and cons of Government policies around Valentine as well as debates between the Custodians of Culture versus Romeo-Juliet’s of the world. Every bit of politics around valentine nation will generate tons of bytes of information. This will lead to employment for many journalists, social media influencers, and media professionals. Both the events and debates further lead to money circulating in the economy and lead to economic recovery after the Covid recession. In short, the Spirit of togetherness will take on the pandemic marked by social distancing and isolation.
This gentleman is an apostle of peace and love. “Imagine if Government of Russia sat with Ukrainian Government during a Valentine event where most eligible bachelors and spinsters across both countries met. They should discuss a plan to deescalate tension, understand and resolve issues without a war. What if the principal of the Karnataka School lovingly explains to the conflicting individuals fighting for their rights to wear their dress of choice just share the photos of events happening in schools in past years where every person was wearing the uniform as a rule? Also, imagine if the students sensibly and lovingly agreed to this simple rule without complicating through needless politics.” ‘What if we had a valentine event in the Parliament and Vidhansabha where politicians across the parties lovingly understood the opposite party and discussed the issues and resolve them? In short, he believes in Utopian Valentine Diplomacy and Politics.
Finally, this gentleman ended with the definition of Love. “Love is the justification of infatuation when you are in teens and after that it’s just a matter of convenience. But at the end of the day, if someone somewhere misses you, it's just the cause worth dying for”. And indeed it is.
No comments:
Post a Comment