FEEL GOOD
It`s about that time! Noluvuyo Bacela and Siyabonga Sibaca
Faint sounds of a birdie’s melody in the background, public display of affection (PDA) all over the place and roses in full bloom, you guessed it- it’s Valentines! What’s funny about this whole setting is that we’ve just come from a time where breaking up with that same person was the “in” thing. A time where relationships and love were the distant cousins to drunk-texting and booty calls that just happened to be one of the main reasons why the bells jingled in the first place... But now, as Valentine’s Day approaches, love is treasured, and somehow just keeps on flourishing.
L
ove is in the air and it’s making the Fifty Shades of Grey last year brought most of us (if you’ll excuse the pun) a distant memory. Hopefully, you are as clued up on popular literature as you are on popular culture for only then will you remember that this was one of 2012’s runaway New York bestsellers that essentially published the hazy way we, young people see “romance” and relationships. A book that wasn’t really up your alley- now was it? To jog your memory, it touched on what a woman in her, let’s say early 20s, fantasizes about- her ideas of love and romance, swooning and so forth- things that a man could really find handy especially at a time like this. A time where looking at life through rose-tinted glasses is encouraged; where talking to birds and kissing balloons with a
man’s face scribbled upon it is not frowned upon. This is actually the only time of the year where you can have your own Bollywood moment with the flowers slowly falling from the sky in a theatrical arrangement and breaking out into song with no-one judging you.
It may be purely coincidental but it just seems rather amusing that this also coincides with a time for expressing apologies for bad behavior either through flowers and ridiculously delicious confectionery. Some book romantic getaways and buy expensive jewellery to ‘express’ their love to one another with a few rose petals lying around.... Meanwhile in the Good Books it says that Love is patient and that its kind and obviously goes on for a few verses but in actual fact they don’t touch on anything tangible. The thing is at the end of the day (Valentines’ day, to be specific) what really matters is the thoughtfulness and appreciation during the course of the relationship. And as history has proven time and time again, love is something magical, a ‘trick’ that magicians also fall for. It’s the glue that keeps peace while connecting individuals - whether it’s through a family and/or friendship. As the month unfolds and the 14th passes by, swiftly – let’s not completely wipe out the fragrance that the Month of Love has embraced us with. And, if you find yourself singing along to Mariah Carey’s rendition of “I wanna know what love is” remember you can always go back to literature.
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