Valentine Day: Love in a Brave New World

Another valentine day has passed. Again there were a whole lot of people in various excitement states. Some were excited as they felt this was it. The day when anyone they had being eyeing for so long would be theirs. There were a whole lot who were excited as they felt somebody perfect who they had been dreaming of would appear on the horizon miraculously. There were a third category of excited folks, some of who felt that this was against Indian culture while some others felt that they have to oppose those who feel this celebration being against our culture. Well God bless them all. I have nothing against excited people after all if young people are not excited and don’t show their excitement then what will be left of humankind, various shades of the old.

As the day progressed a thought crossed my mind. The whole marketing story line on valentine day is “ For someone special”. Valentine day as a concept is sold on expressing your love to your beloved blah blah blah blah So we have a whole lot of couples giving each other gifts of flowers, chocolates etc. A whole lot of them swear that they will remain true to each other for life. Well, HELLO! how will you stay true for a lifetime when this earth may not be able to support you for your lifetime.

Well where is the earth going and why will it not support? Weather patterns are going crazy. Snow in the month of February, warm conditions in the month of November, cold in the morning and warm in the evening… So I thought that when we talk true love, long term commitment how about having some new ideas for excitement on Valentine Day

Ideas for those excited for Love

· Gift a potted rose plant rather than cut roses. This will save a whole lot of plastic and tape, which is used to roll and present the cut roses. A rose plant will remain with your girl/boy and will remind her/him of you. This will also save a whole lot of petrol, which is normally wasted in trying to buy roses, as they are, quite mysteriously, in short supply on this day.

· Plant a tree together: If the idea is of being together why not see life grow as your relationship grows. After all if you truly love somebody you should love nature, as true love is unadulterated.

· Gift toys and gifts to underprivileged children together : This way you not only share time together you spread happiness around. After all true love is all about happiness.

· Spend time together making sure you don’t litter parks, monuments and other public places.




Ideas for those excited for Culture

· Group together and clean up public parks and national monuments. Do take the help of couples getting excited over each other.

· Make sure couple excited for love don’t make a nuisance of themselves on roads by breaking traffic rules.

· Make sure couples excited for love don’t make a nuisance of themselves in public places by littering.

· Try planting trees rather than burning cards, breaking windowpanes etc. Burning and breaking leads to pollution, which quickens the death of our planet.

· If protecting culture is what you are excited by OUR CULTURE TALKS ABOUT RESPECTING WOMEN, so make sure this year no child marriages are held, make sure no girl is forced to give dowry, no widow is made to go to the ashrams in Haridwar and Benaras, no village bars a person from lower caste not to draw water from the village pond etc. Believe me there are 10001 way to protect our culture and they are all very exciting. (The best part, this can be done the year round)

All the above involve bashing people and maybe more satisfying then bashing a few couples who anyway will enjoy privacy if not on valentine day then on some other day.

Love will prevail whether it is valentine day or not but humans need excuses and we must have various excuses for getting excited. Maybe we can try the above ideas next year round.