at this time and in this situation, i would normally begin a very long tirade about how much i hate Valentine's Day and all that it stands for. this excessive dislike is not contingent on my relationship status either because no matter what way you look at it, it is a bad situation. anyways, i feel that already i have had to explain why i dont like the holiday so much, that using this forum to once again beat down the evil monster of Valentine's Day would be a waste of time. perhaps i can come back later and discuss my reasons for dislike.

What i would like to focus on though are my new theories in response to Valentine's Day. for those of you clued in on the response and reaction to Feb. 14th over the past couple years, you will be aware of the existence of a new holiday, named Monkey Week. an invented holiday, it is ingenious nonetheless, and it focuses on all the good things in life instead of on some ambiguous notion of love that somehow is directly associated with purchases of chocolate, stuffed bears, flowers, diamonds, and underwear. it is about true love for yourself and your friends. valuing life and enjoying it for an entire week above all other obligations. the holiday encourages watching movies, cuddling on the couch in blankets, sleeping in, procrastinating, drinking hot tea and other beverages, hanging out with friends, partying, and even the occasional random expression of love and appreciation in the form of a hug or a kiss. it is this final point which has been expounded upon this year. love should not just be emphasized when it is the romantic kind between a couple. i propose that, as some people call it "singleness appreciation day", Feb. 14th should be a day of sharing love with all those around you. i think that means people you know and people you dont know. people you like and people you dont like. people you see all the time and talk to often as well as the people that you only catch a glimpse of here and there or people that you never talk to, purposefully or not. it is about single people showing each other that we all deserve to be loved and appreciated for who we are. i think feb. 14th should be like a second New Years, but in the realm of love. it is the day you make resolutions to love other people more than yourself and more than they may think they deserve. loving all those around you regardless what the circumstances are. the way i propose to do this is to hug and/or kiss people you see. it can be your friends or it can be total strangers. just show others that you appreciate them for who they are and that you love them. this shouldnt be a socially awkward thing because people should be happy to hear that they are loved. it also shouldnt be avoided on grounds that you think hugging or kissing someone will initiate some sort of relationship or something. i believe that it could, but it shouldnt be implied that it will. people may be very attracted to someone who is willing to express their love to others sincerely, so there might be side effects such that members of the opposite sex may consider you as a prime candidate for pursuit. anyways. spread the love. and if someone comes up and hugs you or kisses you, dont be awkward or offended or think they are weird, they are just following through on their resolution to love people around them as much as possible.

with that said, i now declare that Monkey Week has begun! Let the fun begin!




any and all comments or responses are welcome at dabele@wm.edu