[Technicolor Musings] Love Is Always Worth Celebrating

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, a holiday that is often met with very diverse and mixed emotions. Then again, it is a holiday dedicated to romantic love and people are quick to focus on what they lack instead of celebrating what they have. Thus the messaging gets rather mixed and instead I find that you end up hearing more people whining and moaning about not having dates for Valentine's Day instead of happy celebrations of love in all its forms.



Geek love <3 by Mike D / SFview via Flickr

Looking back at my personal blog, I noticed that I seem to say the same thing every Valentine's Day, if only briefly. So I thought it might be worth revisiting today at length here on the Geeky Guide as a little message to all those in love and those who are hellbent on finding love in a message for gay geeks and other lovers-in-waiting out there.

Let's face it - if gay geeks can find love despite being in two rather niche peer groups, why can't the rest of the world, right? Ultimately, it all begins with you and you alone.

More or less in line with my tips on relationships, I strongly believe that our ability to find love starts with how we love ourselves. Do we celebrate who we are or do we hide that? Do we try to reinvent ourselves in order to somehow simulate what we think others want or do we find strength in being ourselves? It's a classic challenge for both geeks and gay guys and it's usually the first big pitfall. And is it really healthy to spend a great holiday like Valentine's Day moping around at home or complaining about how bad you feel since you don't have a date for the day? Get out of the house and be happy and celebrate what makes you great and awesome instead!



Tardis and Me by Tony Case / Great Beyond via Flickr.

While the origins of Valentine's Day are based in romantic love (depending on which myth you believe), it doesn't mean single people can't celebrate it too. At least that's how I see things - it should be a celebration of love in all of its forms, period. That means your love for your significant other or your belief in the power of love itself. And love's a great thing to believe in no matter what, right?

Valentine's Day is a day that you should always be happy and proud about since we all deserve love and we're destined to find that one person that completes your LEGO castle or Carcassonne map or whatever. We just need to keep our minds and hearts open and ready for the good and the bad that goes with putting yourself out there. A life of love is full of its inevitable risks for both single and committed individuals, but you know that the potential rewards are worth all that more than ten times over.



A Carcassonne "I love you" a.k.a. geek love by Elaine / erain via Flickr.

So celebrate today with your friends or loved ones regardless of your social circumstances. If you believe in love and celebrate love, then love will eventually find you in turn. It's all about the power of positive thinking or the Secret or whatever else you want to call this depending on your preferred author. What we put out into the world comes back to us and so it's always better to spread the positive around instead of wallowing in self-pity and sorrow.



Nerds in love by Tiffany Baxendell Bridge via Flickr.

As for you happy couples, be sure to celebrate Valentine's Day in a manner that is special for you. Don't force yourself to adhere to conventions out of peer pressure. Instead celebrate this day of love in a manner that's unique to your relationship. And you don't necessarily have to spend more than usual as long as any gifts or activities are thoughtful and are from the heart.

A lot of people complain about Valentine's Day being a highly commercial holiday that is now owned by Hallmark and the rest of the greeting card industry. But why buy into that kind of thinking when you have your own ways of saying I love you? Case in point, my partner and I are thinking of visiting the Myth of the Human body exhibit today since (1) we think it's pretty cool and (2) why not celebrate love by looking at preserved human hearts? Whatever works for you boys and girls, that's the guy! Do that and I guarantee that you'll both be a lot happier because of it.

So bring out your Magic the Gathering cards or your Star Wars memorabilia. Dress up in your Star Trek uniforms or just stay home and enjoy watching a Kylie Minogue concert DVD on the couch. It's really up to you to figure out what works best for you and your partner - make the most of it! Keeping they day special doesn't necessarily mean doing things you don't normally do or spending more than what you're comfortable with.



What geeks get for valentines day by Jason Rhyley / jrhyley via Flickr.

But ultimately, don't limit your celebration of love to this one day of the year. If you have to wait for February before you have a reason to celebrate being in love or just love in all its amazing glory, then maybe you need to re-evaluate where you stand. Love is something that is cherished, cultivated and made to grow and prosper through constant attention, hard work and perhaps sunscreen. Or chocolate.

When you learn to celebrate love, then every day can become a new kind of Valentine's Day celebration for you and your loved one(s). It also means that your relationship will continue to grow or your singledom will be near its end. Why waste energy of being bitter and depressed and all that jazz when the real winners in the world know that being happy is that first big step to many other things.

Bah, let me be mushy for this one day of the year. It's my right as a Love-loving gay geeky blogger, hehe.



Geeky Cakes - Flickr Roundup for Dabbled.org by Nancy Dorsner / Dot D via Flickr

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!