The colors red, pink, and white are everywhere. People walk around with presents, balloons, and flowers. And little hearts are covering almost every surface. This can only mean one thing; it’s Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day is up there with some of the most popular holiday’s out there, yet it’s also one of the most controversial holidays. There are three different types of people on Valentine’s Day; the lover, the indifferent, and the Valentine’s Day Grinch.
The lovers are those who are in love with Valentine’s Day. They plan all of these fun things to do with their loved one, such as going out to dinner, seeing a movie, or just sometimes staying inside and cuddling. However, they don’t always have a Valentine. Sometimes, the Lover just enjoys making or getting special gifts for their friends and family.
The second type of person, The Indifferent, doesn’t have a Valentine and doesn’t care. They don’t have any strong feelings for Valentine’s Day either way; they treat it as any other day. The Indifferent also tends to think that what people do on Valentine’s Day would mean more if it was done out of the goodness of one’s heart, not because a day on the calendar says so.
Lastly, there’s the Valentine’s Day Grinch. This person is like the Grinch, but instead of hating Christmas, they hate Valentine’s Day, usually because they don’t have their own Valentine. They’re bitter and they want everybody to know it by complaining the entire time. However, their heart will grow three sizes once they find their Valentine.
Despite how people feel about Valentine’s day, it’s still incredibly popular; especially here at TL. A number of vastly different students were asked 14 questions about love and how they feel about Valentines and they all had a lot to say.
The first three questions were asking people if they know what love is.
- What is Love?
-”Unconditional.”-Anonymous
-”Giving someone the power to hurt you and trusting them not to.”-Anonymous
-”Love is a deep connection with someone.”-Anonymous
-”A warm tingly sensation.”-Anonymous
-”Love can be platonic, a love for a friend, or love can be deeper and more meaningful.”-Anonymous
-”When you have a special spot for someone in your heart and when someone makes you happy.”-Anonymous
-”Love is this magical little creature living in your heart that tends to attract other magical little creatures and cares for them dearly even though they can be a b*tch sometimes.”-Anonymous
-”I don’t know (yet, hopefully).”-Anonymous
-”A primal attraction for the spices to survive.”-Anonymous
-”I think love is something that is in each of us that everything needs and uses.”-Anonymous
- Have you ever been in love?
-”Yes.”-said by almost everyone.
-”Yes. I think I have been in love.”-Anonymous
-”Yes, 2 or 3 times but they didn’t end well… “-Anonymous
-”Yes, still am.”-Anonymous
-”No, I have not.”-Anonymous
-”I don’t think so.”-Anonymous
-”No, I’m still young.”-Anonymous
- What is your first memory of love?
-”Probably of my parents.”-Anonymous
-”Catching my first touchdown.”-Anonymous
-”When I saw my dog.”-Anonymous
-”When I was alone with my first girlfriend.”-Anonymous
-”My first memory of love would be from my parents.”-Anonymous
-”When my dad tucked me in or took me to my bed when I had fallen asleep. I would always wake up when he did this but I would pretend to be asleep.”-Anonymous
-”Elementary school. I had a crush on a girl in 3rd grade.”-Anonymous
-”When I was birthed.”-Anonymous
-”My brothers and I playing in the dirt with some bricks.”-Anonymous
-”Standing outside and being overwhelmed with nature’s beauty.”-Anonymous
Questions four and five asked students if they had ever experienced a heartbreak; whether it happened to them or they caused it to happen to someone else. Everyone experiences it at some point, unfortunately.
- Have you ever had your heart broken?
-”H*ll yeah, let me tell you it hurt like a b*tch. Imagine your heart being pulled towards your stomach everytime you cry.”-Anonymous
-“More than I’d like to say.”-Anonymous
-”Yes. In 9th grade I asked a girl out.”-Anonymous
- Have you ever broken a heart?
-”No, I hope not.”-Anonymous
-”Yes he was being too pushy and I love me time.”-Anonymous
-”I would never dare break a heart (on purpose).”-Anonymous
Questions 6-9 are all about how the students of TL show their love and what they think about different types of love. Not one person in the world is the same, especially when it comes to how they think and feel. Generally how someone shows love is also how they like to receive it.
- Are you in love?
-”Yes, I love my girlfriend.”-Anonymous
-”Kinda.(I’m in love with myself, does that count)”-Anonymous
-”No, but I love food.”-Anonymous
-”Yes. My girlfriend of 2 years and 8 months.”-Anonymous
-”Not right now.”-Anonymous
-”Love has never really crossed my mind.”-Anonymous
- Do you believe in true love?
-”Yes, I think some people are very similar and meant to be?”-Anonymous
-”Yes, it can be true but you need a miracle.”-Anonymous
-”True love is real, but extremely hard to find.”-Anonymous
-”Maybe. I’m too young to know.”-Anonymous
- Do you believe in love at first sight?
-”No, I think you need to get to know the person.”-Anonymous
-”Yes I do. That’s how I met my girlfriend.”-Anonymous
-”Nope, I need time with them to know them.”-Anonymous
-”No. Love at first sight is just a fancy way to say lust.”-Anonymous
-”Yes and no, I believe in its existence but I’ve never experienced or seen it first had.”-Anonymous
-”Yes because people have told me their stories.”-Anonymous
-”No, how can you love someone without knowing them?”-Anonymous
-”No! It usually isn’t love.”-Anonymous
- How do you show love?
-”With actions.(caring)”-Anonymous
-”I tell people that I love them.”-Anonymous
-”By trusting people and giving them my emotions.”-Anonymous
-”Showing affection and telling the person[you love them]?”-Anonymous
-”Tell someone how much they mean to you and make them happy.”-Anonymous
-”By always being there for someone.”-Anonymous
-”Compliments and effort; showing that you care.”-Anonymous
-”By complimenting someone and random acts of kindness.”-Anonymous
-”I show love with kindness, joking around, and hugs.”-Anonymous
The rest of the questions are all over the place in theme. But they show how the student body of Terra Linda reacts to the love and celebration around us this time of year.
- Who do you think is the best representation of love in the media?
-”High School Musical.”-Anonymous
-”I don’t think I have seen a good representation of love in the media. Love is a pretty diverse thing and it’s hard to represent everything.”-Anonymous
-”Tim Magraw and Faith Hill.”-Anonymous
-”Savannah LaBrant and Cole LaBrant.”-Anonymous
-”Blake Lively and Ryan Renolyds.”-Anonymous
-”The Obamas.”-Anonymous
-”Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner.”-Anonymous
-”Kim Kardashian and Kanye.”-Anonymous
- Do you think Romeo and Juliet is a good love story?
-”No.”-Anonymous
-”Yes. I think it shows how love can make you do stupid things.”-Anonymous
-”No it’s dumb.”-Anonymous
-”They weren’t in love.”-Anonymous
-”No, Holy sh*t, no!”-Anonymous
-”I don’t know, they were both super dumb on how they handled it, but it was a cute story.”-Anonymous
-”No, they didn’t fall in love.”-Anonymous
-”No! Are you cray, cray!”-Anonymous
- Who is someone you love?
-”My family, specifically my mom.”-Anonymous
-”Myself.”-Anonymous
-”My sister because she is fun and we really connect.”-Anonymous
-”My Boyfriend.”-Anonymous
-”My nana.”-Anonymous
- Is Valentine’s Day a day for love or a day for hallmark to take your money?
-”Both, it depends on how you spend it.”-Anonymous
-”Waste of money, love should be shown and obvious everyday.”-Anonymous
-”Valentine’s Day is just another commercial holiday.”-Anonymous
-”It’s a day of love.”-Anonymous
-”Hallmark to take your money. Everyday should feel like Valentines Day if you’re in love.”-Anonymous
-”I think, these days, it’s more for a commercial purpose than to actually appreciate love.”-Anonymous
- What are your plans for this Valentine’s Day?
-”I work that day sadly, but I’m going to buy her[their girlfriend] flowers, food, and watch movies.”-Anonymous
-”Hang with my gals!”-Anonymous
-”A normal day like no other.”-Anonymous
-”My plans are to not eat too much and go to sleep early.”-Anonymous
-”Buy myself some chocolate and binge-watch sappy rom-com movies.”-Anonymous
-”Dinner with my mom.”-Anonymous
-”Taking the bus to hangout with my sister.”-Anonymous
-”Nothing at the moment, and I’m ok with that.”-Anonymous
-”I didn’t even know it was Valentines Day.”-Anonymous
Valentine’s Day is a crazy holiday filled with some many crazy emotions; some good some bad. It all depends on how you look at it.
