filed in Daily Life
How Does This Photo Make You Feel?
Illustration by John Holcroft
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12 comments for “How Does This Photo Make You Feel?”
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Some days I believe those heart sayings more than others. I definitely do not look forward to the deluge of Valentine Day crap out there. Even when I was married, I never got flowers or anything for that matter on that day.
Good to be reminded that Valentines Day can be fraught no matter what your marital status.
That looks like me in my favorite chair!
This photo makes me feel peaceful, and grateful that I don’t buy in to all the nonsense. It also reminds me to go buy chocolate on Feb 15.
When I was married, we never made a big fuss on Feb 14. If the time comes again, I’ll gauge the health of my relationship on how my partner behaves the other 364 days of the year.
Now that I’m single, I love not having any pressure to buy an overpriced gift or dinner. I will not buy in to a manufactured occasion. My love will be shown in other ways, and frequently.
Good perspective, Kathy. Thanks!
Aw, C’mon, it’s too early for my annual “Valentine’s Day Is a Crock Invented by Hallmark” speech, LOL.
But seriously, few days make me feel as alone as February 14th. Most years, I escape it by volunteering to work late. And if it lands on a weekend, then I try to find a movie that doesn’t involve any sort of sappy love story – you know, something dumb like “Jurassic Park” or something revolving around sports like “Miracle” or something deeply moving like “Schindler’s List”.
three words: treat yo self
Seriously though, I am often single on Valentine’s Day (as I am on many other days/holidays during the year(s) and I rarely ever feel sad or bummed about it. I guess it is a choice for all of us, and while I know this sounds cliche,I have just always chosen to acknowledge the love that surrounds me from friends and family instead of thinking about the love i don’t have ( from a boyfriend or husband.)
I also completely and totally agree with Kurt Vonnegut on this subject: “Love is where you find it. I think it is foolish to go around looking for it, and I think it can be poisonous. I wish people who are conventionally supposed to love each other would say to each other, when they fight, ‘Please-a little less love, and a little more common decency.”
And to get back to the picture at hand: I agree with all those candy hearts. Even when the being alone is a bit of a bummer, i remind myself there are much worse things than reading/being alone…
To me, there is something about this image that feels a little sad and not particularly empowering.
I guess it’s all in the way you look at it, which is why every one posting so far has has a different response to it. I kind of thought my response was similar to the person who’s post you praised for having a good perspective on the matter. Perhaps I should have mentioned buying chocolate 🙂
Since this is your website and you posted the picture, that tells us your feeling on the subject matter, which like anyone’s feeling on the subject matter is worthwhile and true. It is fine that the image feels sad to you and the opposite of empowering, just as it is fine that I look at it and go: good book, comfy chair, all that is missing is wool socks and longjohns!
While I am not particularly youthful, maybe this is the folly of youth speaking when I say: life is too short to get bummed out about things you can’t change and are not always in control of on february 14th (or january 29th or february 1st, etc.)
I will be single this February 14th. (not a painful sentence for me to write/feel/speak)
As I was last February 14th.
And I know that the sun will still rise, the sun will still set, life will still go on and be real good. Why make things more complicated, sad, or dramatic than needed?
I must have really zoned about V-day because when I first saw it I was thinking; hmmm…introvert. I saw the hearts but didn’t think of Valentine’s until reading everyone’s posts.
About 15 years ago when I was in a LTR, a bunch of women friends and I got together for Valentine’s. We really didn’t believe in the holiday so we would go to someone’s house dressed in black and eat junk food. Some of these women were in relationships and others weren’t.
I’m on the same page with Kathy. I didn’t even connect this with Valentines Day. Duh, I guess.
I think the ‘Never Lonely’ heart is unrealistic — and the ‘Single Is Nice’ heart is just plain annoying. Ha!