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The reason that February possesses fewer days than any other month can be explained best as suicide prevention. If we had to wait through additional days of winter tinged with hints of spring, the tease would prove to be too much for all but the strongest mind to endure. (How do those living in the southern hemisphere endure August?) Surely, the exact mid point of the month provides a mandatory break for a moment of romanticism and foreshadowing the regenerative nature of spring.
Story Chip does not hope to question the nature of the calendar or alter the course of holidays, but we do hope to provide a platform for stories that help us to understand them. Our archive currently holds only a single story with a Valentine's Day tag, and that story is about the Beatles first trip to the United States.
One explanation can be found in newspapers all over the country. Every year we see pages that feature stories of how couples came together. It seems the Valentine's Day stories are not about the day, but about the memories of romantic love that the day hopes to help us keep alive. Those are certainly good stories that show up in Story Chip and there is no doubt that we know each other better from knowing how we fall in love.
Another explanation might be that even the Catholic Church is not entirely sure which Saint Valentine was honored by the feast that bears his name. The problem is that there were three Saint Valentines that were all honored on the same day. There exists a certain level of uncertainty in celebrating a day that suffers from multiple personality disorder.
A less flattering explanation can be seen in the activities that are advertised as products that can help create a wonderful observance of romantic love. Flowers (more teasing of spring), chocolate, lacy red lingerie and greeting cards that range from saccharin to syrupy are all offered as aides for professing shared intimacy. It is difficult to imagine that the stories associated with these products are the ones we want to share.
The real explanation is probably some combination of all these thoughts that focuses on the notion of intimacy. We do not share our most personal stories to honor our lovers. The stories that only two people share are the foundation of romantic love. They are those knowing looks across a room or a table that only two people can possibly share. The best Valentine's token is that shared intimacy that we do not share with others.
Story Chip should reflect all of our attitudes about relationships. Our stories define them and we show the world the relationships that we carry as memories. Visit Story Chip to see if the new entries of sweethearts spark you to write your love story to share with the world. How did you meet that special person? Is finding true love as simple as putting out a sign?
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