Daniel Martinoli’s Website

Well, people, it’s that time of year again! That’s right, Valentine’s Day is coming up. It’s the one day of the year when the focus is on those we love, not ourselves, right? Right?? Well, not entirely…

Soon, the shops will be filled to overflowing with things to buy your special someone for Valentine’s Day. The people selling these things also have a great marketing ploy: If you don’t buy something for your partner/boyfriend/girlfriend, then you don’t really love them. Not surprisingly, this attracts the customers.

But I’m sure I’m not the only one who thinks that Valentine’s Day is rather pointless and shallow. This ‘obligation’ to buy gifts for those you love seems to defeat the purpose, really. Wouldn’t it actually be better to receive a gift from that special someone when they’re NOT obligated to give it to you? Why does love have to be shown to its full extent only on Valentine’s Day? Why not every day?

In the end, I guess it all comes down to money and/or consumerism (like most things wrong with this world). But maybe we shouldn’t get sucked into the whole Valentine’s Day thing. I’m not really one to talk about romantic relationships, but why can’t we treat our loved ones as though every day is Valentine’s day?

Yeah, I was inspired to write this blog entry after learning that someone I know (who shall remain nameless), broke up with his girlfriend recently. These two had been going out for a couple of months, I guess and I’d seen them proclaim their ‘love’ for eachother over MSN/MySpace.

Anyway, after I heard that things had come to an end so suddenly, I began to think about how so many relationships are like this. Two people say they ‘love’ eachother and then in a few months it’s over.

Have we really lost the idea of what love is? Do people say they’re in love because they’re obligated to?

Sure sounds like it.

(continue reading…)