As most of us already know, or will eventually acknowledge, that love in general can easily get twisted around and quite complicated. The same can be said about Valentine’s Day, which is only fitting being that Valentine’s Day involves people, their courtships, and choices made or not made.
For centuries there’s existed a two member all-star tag team, one a mere mortal, the other an immortal, who’ve joined forces with co-starring roles involving Valentine’s Day. They compliment each other in the likes of eggs and bacon, pancakes and syrup, or cookie’s and milk.
Both are legends of their own individual era and merit. You can’t have one without the other. Just try to imagine Romeo without his Juliet, Sleeping Beauty without her Prince Charming, John Smith without his Pocahontas, or Cleopatra without her Marc Anthony.
One is a god of love representing both Roman and Greek mythology of which Plato once penned as being the oldest of all the gods. All of the others idols in the likes of Zeus, Nemesis and Narcissus had their 15-minutes of fame and then faded away.
But this ancient Roman romantic ringleader, Cupid, has enjoyed everlasting appeal since Renaissance artists of the15th Century depicted him on canvas as a flying overweight baby with cherub cheeks and white angel wings, which always appeared to be too small. Sometimes he was painted blindfolded, sometimes not, but he always had his arsenal of a bow and arrow in hand ready to score. Think of a fat bumblebee with an attached doll head equipped with puny wings while being outfitted like Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, minus the bright and tight green spandex suit.
The other is a venerated 3rd century martyred priest, reverently known today as St. Valentine who, according to one of several legends, defied a Roman Emperor named Claudius II who had issued a decree eliminating marriages of his soldiers. St. Valentine acting with principles, values, and divine intent was sentenced to death when caught performing clandestine marriages. After being thrown into jail, he falls in love with a jailer’s daughter. Prior to his death, he composes the world’s first known Valentine missive when he signs off with, “From your Valentine.”
Like some of boxing history’s most famous one-two knockout punchers in the likes of Rocky Marciano and Jack Dempsey, Cupid jabs at the heart, while Valentine simultaneously infiltrates and works the spirit. This dynamic duo’s one-two punch casts a potent spell over unexpected victims with their poignant arrows and tender words. Legend has it that Cupid’s arrows could penetrate any Knights armor, while Valentine’s words would sway even the most stubborn of mules.
After the sitting ducks are struck, there’s a marked increase in the sales of two-door cars, teeth whiteners, breath mints, dental floss, haircuts, manicures, pedicures, nose and ear hair trimmers, orange crush sodas, red roses, gym memberships, wax candles, high and low heeled shoes, star gazing and bicycles for two.
Conversely there is a marked decrease of four-door cars, meals at McDonalds, bank accounts, disposable income, (including pocket change), shopping for clothes at Wal-Mart and K-Mart, and the consumption of garlic.
Everyday surroundings are abruptly transformed as well; Reds are redder, pinks pinker, clouds resemble cotton candy, sunsets are abruptly noticed, driver’s becomes door openers, gas prices don’t mean a thing, dreams turn from black, white and mute, to high definition plasma and surround sound. Winter becomes summer, bird songs become rhythmic, and cold winds become warm zephyr breezes.
But leave it to us mortals to distort and skew things by bad choices, oversized egos and thoughtless stingy acts. Hearts become broken by harsh words that are spoken. The late ex-Beatle George Harrison summed it up some thirty-years ago nice and concise by penning and singing;
“Isn’t it a pity, now isn’t it a shame, how we break each others hearts, and cause each other pain, and because of all our tears, our eyes can’t hope to see, the beauty that surrounds us, … now isn’t it a pity?”
Cupid and St. Valentine, or the Cupid of Valentine, set the pace and had it right for all of us ages and ages ago. Money and mascara can’t buy true love. It’s what’s in one’s heart and soul that matters the most
Steve Sayer
ALNews Columnist
