If music be the food of love then give me some bloody headphones! As Valentine's Day fast approaches I thought it would be appropriate to approach the sticky subject of love. Well only sticky if you have bought your partner the right present I guess.
Now I'm not going to bang on about whether I believe in Valentine's Day or the commercialisation of love, I simply want to express my feelings about L O V E.
Firstly even the most cynical and cold hearted of us singletons has to admit that 14th February does nothing but emphasise that we don't have anyone special to shower with adoring gifts and symbols of our love. Instead we are left to brush past the crowds queuing with cards, flowers and boxes of chocolates in Tesco to get to the frozen food aisle to get our mircowave meal........for one!
Love is a funny old word. Men alot greater than me have tried, and failed, to define exactly what it means. It is a word that is also often overused. On a daily basis I express my love for Wayne Rooney, KFC and the blonde girl that works on the hat stall in the middle of the Mall. Does it mean I actually love these things? No. Well maybe KFC.
The problem is everyone is different and everyone defines love in their own way. In my opinion people express love in order to emphasise that they like something more than they like anything else. This is not to say that loving is just liking something alot but I believe people often confuse their own feelings. To love is beyond definition. It's not something that you make a conscious or deliberate decision to do, it just happens, and it does not need to be explained or justified, nor does it need to be readily expressed in order to make it more real or believable.
We are told in nearly every song and movie that love is what we should aspire to. We will be happy if we have love because it is the greatest thing in the world. We are told that it can make us feel better than anything else in the world or can cause greater pain than anything we have ever experienced. But does being force fed this opinion pressure us to try and find love? Or cause us to categorise feelings as love when they aren't in a vain attempt to have a 'complete' life?
Despite the cliches like "you only know what love is when you find it" we have all experienced love. Personally I love a few people unequivocally. My Mum, Dad and Sister. I'm not sure whether this is because they are my family or the fact that they are Holdens so they are instantly loveable. Everyone has at least one person in their life that they love.
Some might argue that loving family and friends is not the same as it is platonic love but I believe all love is truly platonic. You aren't physically attracted to your husband or wife because you love them. Just like you do not automatically love someone you desire physically. Love transcends physical desire, it is more about a mental connection. That's why Fred and Rose West loved each other, they were both completely mental.
There are some great quotes when it comes to best explaining love, but there are also some terrible ones. One of the most infamous is Alfred, Lord Tennyson's "Tis better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all". Really Freddy? It's better to suffer the indignity of sulking for 3 months, listening to Damien Rice, and watching Richard Curtis films instead of actually living a bit. I think you'll find "ignorance is bliss" Lord Tennyson.
My personal favourite is a gem from Socrates (I believe it was the philosopher not the Brazilian footballer). In an attempt to sum up love in a heart rendering few words he said "The hottest love has the coldest end." For me it sounds more like he is describing having sex in the bath.
So as the masses buy what they consider to be romantic presents to convey their love we should ask whether romance and romantic gestures are just a cheap way of feigning love. Surely true unconditional love is enough!
Friday, 12 February 2010
Sunday, 7 February 2010
I've seen the future!
So I returned to blogland a couple of weeks ago and the post has received a luke warm reception. In fact some people hated it and wasted no time in telling me so. This criticism was hard to swallow. Sure, everybody has their critics, but when you are as alarmingly great as me it doesn't happen very often however I can accept it was justified.
A regular man gives up once he suffers a fall whereas a great man rises again. Just look at Jesus. He once wrote a shit post then came back with a funny one about being a student ambassador. No, wait, that example didn't quite work but you get the jist!
It has been strange at Uni recently. Lots of students have been beavering away to finish assignments whilst I have finished all of mine and received the best grade in the class. Apart from sniffing cocaine off supermodels' breasts on yachts in the south of France to celebrate my grades I have had pretty much nothing to do. I have felt a bit of a fraud. I mean everyone is working hard whilst I have been amusing myself by trawling check shirt internet forums. The lack of work has led to hours of boredom so it was nice this weekend to work my first day as a University Student Ambassador.
The job of a Student Ambassador is to assist with University Open Days and talk to prospective students about their own experiences. Obviously when they say your own experiences they aren't referring to swooning over the pretty girls that work at Topshop in the Mall, or drinking so much sambuca that you are sick all over the corridor of your flat and then hoovering up the sick so that now every time you use Henry it smells like you have invited a tramp in to your house and asked him to excrete Special Brew all over your carpet. We, the Ambassador crew, are there to give these youngsters a real insight into what it is like studying in Luton, without mentioning the stabbings.
The first open day of the year was yesterday. They were expecting around one thousand applicants and guests. Two thousand people turned up. Chaos ensued.
Now blog fans, let me set the scene for you. Firstly I was very tired. I had been to a Silent Disco the night before and had had 1 hours sleep before the 6.30am start. Was it worth it? Possibly. I mean silent disco are always as fun as they are strange. I love the surreal moment when you take the headphones off and everyone is still dancing in silence but the most amusing part is always watching everyone trying to mouth words to each other whilst they still have the headphones on. I can imagine its much the same at the Deaf Society annual disco, without the headphones of course.
Secondly I was given a University sweatshirt that was a size too small for me. I haven't worn clothes that tight since I refused to give up my Thunderbirds costume 15 years after it's purchase. I still don't believe there is anything wrong with wearing a 6 year old Virgil outfit to your 21st birthday Mum!
Finally we were made to wear ridiculous badges which read "Luton Harmony". Now I was not happy about this for two reasons. The first, it rubbed against my nipple. The second, I believe the slogan displayed on the badge is a lie. Lets face it, the only way harmony in Luton could be achieved is if a nuclear bomb was dropped on it. Even then I have my doubts. Like cockroaches, half the population would survive. Their skin, harden from years of smoking and drinking white spirits, would act as some kind of armour. All we would end up with is a pool of melted Elizabeth Duke jewellery.
So I'm there, struggling already, hoping that my first time would be quick and painless (yes I'm still talking about the Open Day) and then I am faced with a barrage of fresh faced, inquisitive youngsters, grilling me about everything from nightlife to course modules, from employment rates to sports teams and from toilet directions to enquiries on where I got my lovely sweatshirt.
If truth be told I enjoyed it. I revelled in talking about myself for hours. I loved eating the free sandwiches and coffee meant for the visitors. And I took pleasure in seeing the future students of the University of Bedfordshire.
I've seen the future and it looks good. I'm not just talking about the pretty girls or the unattractive men that will prove no competition when it comes to winning the hearts of previously mentioned pretty girls, but I'm referring to their impressive minds. They seem keen, intelligent, inquistive and talented. It looks as though I may finally have some competition on the blogging front next year. I can't afford to have many 'Back with a vengeance!'moments. Blog fans, from this day forward, I promise I will never let you down again!
A regular man gives up once he suffers a fall whereas a great man rises again. Just look at Jesus. He once wrote a shit post then came back with a funny one about being a student ambassador. No, wait, that example didn't quite work but you get the jist!
It has been strange at Uni recently. Lots of students have been beavering away to finish assignments whilst I have finished all of mine and received the best grade in the class. Apart from sniffing cocaine off supermodels' breasts on yachts in the south of France to celebrate my grades I have had pretty much nothing to do. I have felt a bit of a fraud. I mean everyone is working hard whilst I have been amusing myself by trawling check shirt internet forums. The lack of work has led to hours of boredom so it was nice this weekend to work my first day as a University Student Ambassador.
The job of a Student Ambassador is to assist with University Open Days and talk to prospective students about their own experiences. Obviously when they say your own experiences they aren't referring to swooning over the pretty girls that work at Topshop in the Mall, or drinking so much sambuca that you are sick all over the corridor of your flat and then hoovering up the sick so that now every time you use Henry it smells like you have invited a tramp in to your house and asked him to excrete Special Brew all over your carpet. We, the Ambassador crew, are there to give these youngsters a real insight into what it is like studying in Luton, without mentioning the stabbings.
The first open day of the year was yesterday. They were expecting around one thousand applicants and guests. Two thousand people turned up. Chaos ensued.
Now blog fans, let me set the scene for you. Firstly I was very tired. I had been to a Silent Disco the night before and had had 1 hours sleep before the 6.30am start. Was it worth it? Possibly. I mean silent disco are always as fun as they are strange. I love the surreal moment when you take the headphones off and everyone is still dancing in silence but the most amusing part is always watching everyone trying to mouth words to each other whilst they still have the headphones on. I can imagine its much the same at the Deaf Society annual disco, without the headphones of course.
Secondly I was given a University sweatshirt that was a size too small for me. I haven't worn clothes that tight since I refused to give up my Thunderbirds costume 15 years after it's purchase. I still don't believe there is anything wrong with wearing a 6 year old Virgil outfit to your 21st birthday Mum!
Finally we were made to wear ridiculous badges which read "Luton Harmony". Now I was not happy about this for two reasons. The first, it rubbed against my nipple. The second, I believe the slogan displayed on the badge is a lie. Lets face it, the only way harmony in Luton could be achieved is if a nuclear bomb was dropped on it. Even then I have my doubts. Like cockroaches, half the population would survive. Their skin, harden from years of smoking and drinking white spirits, would act as some kind of armour. All we would end up with is a pool of melted Elizabeth Duke jewellery.
So I'm there, struggling already, hoping that my first time would be quick and painless (yes I'm still talking about the Open Day) and then I am faced with a barrage of fresh faced, inquisitive youngsters, grilling me about everything from nightlife to course modules, from employment rates to sports teams and from toilet directions to enquiries on where I got my lovely sweatshirt.
If truth be told I enjoyed it. I revelled in talking about myself for hours. I loved eating the free sandwiches and coffee meant for the visitors. And I took pleasure in seeing the future students of the University of Bedfordshire.
I've seen the future and it looks good. I'm not just talking about the pretty girls or the unattractive men that will prove no competition when it comes to winning the hearts of previously mentioned pretty girls, but I'm referring to their impressive minds. They seem keen, intelligent, inquistive and talented. It looks as though I may finally have some competition on the blogging front next year. I can't afford to have many 'Back with a vengeance!'moments. Blog fans, from this day forward, I promise I will never let you down again!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)