One Week

No, I am not going to be discussing or nit-picking apart the amusing Barenaked Ladies video (Youtube is being annoying and won't let me embed the video). For those of you who are trying to forget that today is, in fact, a Monday, or for those of you who have lost track of their internal clock, today is February 7th. That means that it is one week until Valentine's Day.

No, this is not a bitter, angry, bitchy post.

This is a post of puzzlement and face-palming at advertising.

A while ago I "liked" or subscribed to some piece of merchandise from Victoria's Secret (VS). As much as I harp on them, I really do like the majority of their bras. The body stuff can be a bit much, the swimsuits are always good for a laugh, and I'm sure some of the "technology" in their bras really was created by NASA scientists. I have no idea how some of that "lift" is achieved. Anywho, due to my internet agreement, I often get posts by VS in my facebook newsfeed on my Droid. The postings are normally fine, intriguing, good for a laugh. Normally.

The exception to this is that I really do not need to be reminded every five posts that it is a week from Valentine's Day. VS, if you are able to see the information on my facebook profile, you would know I am not "in a relationship", "being complicated with" or any of the other non-single options. For that matter, I do not have any relationship status currently on my profile. It's just blank. I've been adopting a policy of not broadcasting this information to the world. It works out rather nicely. That being said, their programmed posts really should check if I have a "sweetie...or that hottie you friended last week".

Not to single out VS, I simply don't see the point of the excessive advertising that comes with this particular holiday. Yes, advertising publishes and circulates information about products leading to hopefully, greater sales of goods. I understand this for Christmas. I understand this for Thanksgiving and Halloween, however, Valentine's Day just seems like a mimic of old gender roles and stereotyping. If you are in a relationship, shouldn't the guy remember to do something sweet without images of pink teddy bears bombarding his brain? Shouldn't you yourself think to do something thoughtful for your guy or gal right back?

In my life since the start of dating, I've had Valentine's Days where I was single and happy about it, single and upset about it, and in a relationship. Heck, I asked one of my best boyfriends out on Valentine's Day at midnight and made him a delicious dinner after his computer science lab. I've had a boyfriend take me out to a great steak dinner. Chocolates have filled my stomach some years, and alcohol others.

I am not bitter, not angry, not lonely, not sad. I am actually at a pretty good place in my life. It's kind of awesome.

You know what I'll be doing this Valentine's Day?

Going to the pub with one of my best girl friends since it falls on a Monday, possibly working, and then looking like this watching romantic comedies with my roomie and red wine.



Oh, and eating chocolate. It's not Valentine's Day without large amounts of dark chocolate.

Sexytime

The little amusements in life come to you in odd forms at random times. Sex is an integral part of who we are, no matter how puritanical, no matter how much denial, and no matter how much you don't want to hear about it. I have sex. You have sex. We have sex. Pronouns have sex. Therefore, people engage in sexytimes as it has been dubbed by my friend Chelsea. By the way, just to clear all doubt, I love you Chelsea.

Sex happens and most likely, if not now, or in the past, most people will engage in sexytimes at some point in life. If this is such a given in life, why are people hesitant to discuss it? We like Popsicle and we discuss those. We dislike angry cats, yet we talk about those. It is possible to talk about good and bad things, and while sex can be both and a flexible range of things in between, we do not talk about it. Why? This question is frustrating to me for many reasons: judgmental society, gender double standards, the virgin/whore complex and general immaturity.

The answer I would like to propose, or at least for this example, is the fact that sex involves people. For the sake of this argument, I'm not including bestiality and performing sexual acts on something that is not another human being. I'm not hatin', it just doesn't suit the framework of this argument. The proposition I present is that society as a whole and people are hesitant, or label it a taboo, to talk about sex because it involves people. The caring optimistic romantic in me chooses to believe that it is out of a natural tendency to not want to hurt or offend others, not because we care about perceived reputations, but for the protection of the partner. You did what? With who? She wanted what? Those kind of questions break away the barriers surrounding people to reach their "true" selves. While one's true self is glorious, beautiful and amazing, it can also be subject to high vulnerability.

Talking about, writing about, thinking about sex can reveal things about people. While they may be false, there also exist truths. The truth is real, brutal, harsh and chilling. It can tear friendships apart, turn friends into mournful strangers and continue to exist as a haunting thirsty ghost long after the initial blow is struck, however, it can reinforce the beauty in friendships and remind you of a treasure you thought you lost.

I am aware that I'm getting kind of preachy and "deep" here, but well, this is subject to my ramblings and rants, and no matter how much I'd like to deny it, I have some things on my mind. I am a whole person, I am comfortable with myself and I feel that I am finally getting close again to being able to call myself a good person. I guess ramblings just wanted to flow out tonight. In relationships, from a one night stand to a intense committed relationship, be respectful. Be caring, considerate and courteous to your fellow man and woman. No one likes kicking walls.

On a lighter note, I also think people don't like talking about sex because the male form is floppity. Yes, floppity. No offense boys, but I think you are. We are all complicated, but we get a nice little cover. While it takes two people to make sexytime, a girl doing sexytime by herself is just a bit jiggly, while boy solo sexytime is floppity.

Finally, body image issues can go suck a blowpop for all I care :D