Valentine's Day is not about love

If Valentine's day was about love then we'd be celebrating the freedom to choose who we love and what love looks like to us as individuals. The Valentine's Day marketing wants you to believe that there's a day dedicated to love. What they're really telling you is that you should feel sad if you're alone. You should feel happy if you are one part of a couple. You should feel confused if you're a man who loves men, a women who loves women or someone who loves both (at the same time or separately). You should feel shame if you have more than one partner. You should, I should, they should, we should, everyone bloody well should. Here's the point of this tiny observation about the day of love; it's not the day of love. It's the day of uncomfortable social pressures and depression if you're not conforming. Valentine's Day should actually be the day that we celebrate choice. In South Africa same sex marriage is legal. We were one of the first countries in the world to take a stand for this and embrace the change in our constitution. There are many types of love that are practiced every day and all over the world but for whatever reason, some are more acceptable than others and I'm really tired of that way of thinking. Who cares if you're alone this Valentine's Day? Show yourself some love. If you're one part of a couple that's great too. If you are polyamorous then you'll be having a slightly more costly dinner on the 14th and if you're part of a group love affair then you can through yourselves a small party and enjoy the day or night.