Valentine's Day. I got twice as many cards as usual this year. But what's two times zero?

In all seriousness: few things sum up the capitalist, neoliberal bastardisation and commercialisation of something which couldn't be more important - love - more than Valentine's Day.

In normal times, ie. not during lockdown, but this year too no doubt, it leaves people feeling lonely, miserable, unloved, unloveable, and like a 'failure' if they don't have a partner. All of which does colossal harm and is a bunch of absolute BS.

What should Valentine's Day actually be about? Love in all its many forms.

- Romantic love
- Love of family
- Love of friends
- Love of animals
- Love of the environment and planet
- Love of what you do
- Love of others
- Love and care of self

Every year on Valentine's Day, I point people towards this song. This is my kind of love. And isn't it everyone's too?

All the forms of love I mentioned above except romantic love are quite absurdly downplayed and minimised in this ridiculously callous, over-commercialised society. Yet they're all incredibly important!

And yet... many years ago, after visiting my sister on Valentine's Day, I stood at a bus stop. There were an old couple there in their 70s. The bus arrived; he stood behind her so she could get on first. I followed after him.

And on the bus, they just sat smiling at each other.

They were clearly on their way out for a romantic tête-à-tête - and they looked so happy, so excited and so in love.

That was incredibly beautiful. THAT is absolutely what love is all about too.

So no, I'm not a total cynic about all this.

But the way we treat love not as inclusive, but as EX-clusive is just another part of how our world keeps getting it so so so wrong about things which are so important.