The Tracks of Life

Sometimes life will take you where you want to go, sometimes it doesn't. But what I've learned thus far in my 21 years of experience is that no matter where you go, no matter which path you choose if you follow your heart you will always end up where you were supposed to be all along.

Corporate Holiday or Real Holiday?

So the story goes:

"Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines"). The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished." (Wikipedia)

But my question is, why?

Why did Pope Gelasius I establish this day? I understand that he probably wanted a day for lovers to express their love, however, it seems Pope Gelasius didn't have a very keen insight to romance and relationships. Now, I'm not saying I know anything about Pope Gelasius and his relationships, because I've never even heard of him. I could do further research but it's not my point really, so it doesn't matter.

My point:
Lovers should celebrate their love every day, not just one day out of the year.

So I question, why did Pope Gelasius deem Feb. 14th Valentine's day when in reality, for two people in love, everyday should be "Valentine's day".

My next thought is, maybe the Pope wanted to establish this day as the 'focal' point to relationships, if you will. Like Christmas, we celebrate the birth of Christ, but Christians should praise God everyday. I certainly hope that is what Pope Gelasius was going for.

But why has Valentine's Day turned into a huge chocolate factory, card giving, flower sending shoebox decorating holiday? Where did this mess come from?

Why do we spend $13.5 billion on chocolate and cocoa products for Valentine's Day?
Or $422 million on Flowers?
(http://www.census.gov)

Fun Facts:
52% of men propose on Valentine’s Day

10% Of Americans get engaged on Valentines Day

53% of women will dump their boyfriends if they don’t give them anything on Valentines’ Day

3% of people give their pets a Valentine’s Day Present

Average amount spent on valentine’s day gifts is $90
(http://www.perfume.net)

I don't understand why people would spend so much money all for one day because someone said so. Doesn't it kind of show conformity and almost fascism?

I know everyone reading this is probably saying to themselves right about now: "Wow this girl is pathetic, she's only pissed off because she either got dumped last Valentine's Day or doesn't even have a man." Well it's actually the opposite, I had a great boyfriend last Valentine's Day that yes, bought me flowers, and this Valentine's Day I do have someone. But I specifically asked him not to do anything for me or get me anything because if he ever felt the need to express how he felt about me, or just wanted to buy me flowers for no reason at all, the last day of the 365 days in this year would be on Valentine's Day. If a man really loved me as much as he acts/says/ or even really does, he shouldn't need a national holiday to tell me.

But then again, I'm never opposed to getting flowers or chocolate on any random day of the year, even if that day randomly is February 13th.

For the Record

I awoke early this morning to a different light shining through my window. It was a dull sort of light as opposed to the normal bright beautiful yet extremely annoying sun shine. I got a call to take a look outside, I knew it was supposed to snow today, but to my very excited surprise it had already snowed about 2 inches! I couldn't believe that it had already snowed that much in just a few hours. Luckily it continued to snow heavily all morning so my mom, my dog, Daisy, and I made a snow man in our front yard, and then proceeded to have a snowball fight. My mom threw a huge snowball right in my face and that's when I decided to call it quits. My feet were frozen in my Sperry Topsiders, I needed rain boots.

I went to Walmart- no such luck.

I went to Target- no such luck either.

I went to Steinmart and finally found some boots.

Went to my friends house and built a gigantic fort in which we decided to ambush each other then took the wakeboard, my snowboard and a skimboard to a local hill where we slide down the hill a ton of times until I couldn't feel my toes any longer.

I know they're caled rain boots, and not snow boots, but you'd still think they'd keep you a tad warmer than sneakers right? WRONG!! Had I stayed outside any longer, I probably would have gotten frost bite on my baby toes and would have had to cut them off!! OUCH!

okay I'm just being over dramatic, but for real my toes were frozen.

The only think that could have made my day better was if I didn't have to work most of the day before I could go outside and play with my friends.

All in all- we had a record of 8inches of snow as of 9pm this evening and it's supposed to continue snowing until after midnight tonight.

:)

I LOVE IT!!

i started another story.. but it'll never be finished

I awoke the other morning with the strangest want to write, so i laid in bed for a few minutes thinking of what i could write about. The sentence "He never had a real place to call home" came to mind and made me think of someone i used to know. So i pulled out a pen and some paper and just began to write. The words flowing freely from my mind, to my hand through the pen and onto the paper. I wrote for about an hour. After a finishing a few pages of text, I realized i wasnt even sure of what i was writing. I'm too afraid to go back and read it right now, but eventually i will, eventually i will have to to finish. But i usually never finish any of my writings.

So many people have complimented me on my drive and ambition to finish school as quick as i did, they compliment me on my ability to complete things, but what they do not know is that rarely do i ever reach a final end to things. I dont like to think of things coming to an indefinite end. Like books, for instance, I highly recommend the book The Delivery Man by Joe McGinniss Jr., it's one of the best books ive ever read in my life, it was a book i never wanted to end. Back to my writing, i never get a chance to finish any of it, its either caused by having little time, too many interruptions, but mostly life. Life causes me not to finish things, Life always tends to get in the way, in my head, it overruns my thoughts and blocks out my creativity so i can not write anymore. I never can think of a good point to a story.

I had a conversation with a fellow writer friend of my the other day and we talked about how we both have this ungodly fear of "what's the point"-itis. We can never figure out what the point to our writing is, and why anyone anywhere in the world would ever care to read what we have to say. "What's the point"-itis, i wonder if Stephen King or Danielle Steele or Vince Fylnn ever had "What's the point"-itis. I wish i could ask them.

J.D. Salinger once said “There is a marvelous peace in not publishing,” J.D. Salinger told The New York Times in 1974. “Publishing is a terrible invasion of my privacy. I like to write. I love to write. But I write just for myself and my own pleasure.”

I wish I could think like him. Maybe one day I will, maybe one day I will stop trying to influence the world with my writing and write for myself. Then it wouldnt matter if I finished anything or not.

I suppose I can live with influencing through my teaching... but that's not what I want.

Maybe it's just not in God's plan for me to be a published author. who knows.