Single on Valentine's Day Sucks

I’m not normally one to complain.  I try to look on the bright side of things, find the positive, the beauty, but today I make an exception.  Today is Valentine’s Day and I’m single and it sucks. 

The being single part has it’s good points and it’s bad points.  I’d rather be single than with the wrong person. When I was married the SOB gave me a dozen long stem red roses every Valentine's Day but treated me like crap the other 364 days of the year.  You couldn't pay me to go back to that. I have grown and become stronger in many ways as a single person because I have had no choice. But on February 14, being single sucks.

I will see flowers delivered to others at work today.  I will see co-workers go out with their significant others for a special lunch.  Tomorrow I will hear about the fabulous night they were treated to tonight.  My daughter will come home and tell me about the fabulous gift that her boyfriend gave her.  Even my 13 year old son will come home and tell me how much his girlfriend liked the teddy bear and candy he gave her.  

I will have no such tales, no such gifts.  If I turn on the TV tonight there are bound to be love stories on and I will likely click right past them and pull out the very good horror story I’m reading right now! (Review coming soon!) 

I won’t be a grouch today though.  I will smile and celebrate the happiness of my friends and family right along with them.  I will “Ooo” and “Aah” over the new jewelry that my co-workers bring in tomorrow to show off.  And I truly will be happy for them.  But I will also secretly feel lonely and left out and wish that I had similar experiences to share about this year’s Valentine’s Day.  Have I mentioned that it really sucks?

Cupid and Paul McCartney on Word Wednesday

Sorry but no, this post is not about Paul McCartney's love life.  In celebration of Valentine's Day Eve on this Word Wednesday, this post is about Cupid.  We'll get to Paul McCartney in a bit, bear with me.  

Everywhere we turn there are newspaper, internet and radio ads trying to entice us to spend money on flowers, cards, candy or jewelry for the one we love.  One of the common symbols of love on this holiday is Cupid.  Now we all know that if you are shot with one of Cupid’s arrows you fall in love with the next person you see but where did this idea originate?  Who came up with the story about a small, chubby boy with wings shooting arrows at people to make them fall in love?  It all began with classical mythology.  Ready for this?  It’s a real soap opera!

So legend has it that Cupid is the son of Venus and Mars.  In the 2^nd century Latin novel “The Golden Ass” (also known as “Metamorphoses”) by Apuleius, Venus becomes jealous of the beautiful Psyche because her beauty is luring worshipers away from Venus.  Venus has a little sit down with her son Cupid and orders him to make Psyche fall in love with a monster.  In the still of the night Cupid creeps into Psyche’s room to shoot her with the fateful arrow but alas, he cannot, as he has fallen in love with her beauty just like all her worshipers have done.  Cupid defies his mother’s order by pricking himself, causing himself to fall in love with Psyche.  (insert dramatic organ music here). 

Meanwhile, downstairs at Psyche’s home her parents consult an oracle.  Why, oh why, does no one want to marry their beautiful daughter?  The oracle breaks the tragic news that their daughter is destined to marry a monster.  (Gasp!)  This cannot be! They order the west wind to carry her away to a faraway castle on top of a mountain in order to escape this unfathomable fate.   Cupid cannot bear to be away from his beloved Psyche and goes to her every night – but warns her to never look at him.  (Extreme close-up of Cupid with a very stern look on his face)