Valentine’s Day (246)

So as Valentine’s Day is coming up in a few days, as I walked to the store just earlier this morning, I felt the tension. A collective tension, I should say. It’s building up. It’s Valentine’s Day. And for a lot of people, especially men that are listening tonight, there is this sudden heavy pressure to perform, to show your loved one that you really, really care. It’s a tradition here in America to celebrate. It’s a day that you have to show your feeling. You have to find the right bouquet of flower and pay an exorbitant amount of money that the week before you paid about a quarter of what it is really today. And then you have to kind of book a table somewhere at a crowded restaurant at an exorbitant prices that are inflated, and you sit inches away from another couple doing the exact same thing. It feels less of a celebration of love and caring and more like a deadline. It’s expensive, it’s stressful, and honestly, it’s somewhat of a Hallmark trap.

But I want to share something different and put some perspective maybe with you tonight. Exactly 21 years ago, on Valentine’s Day, I wasn’t in any kind of restaurants with a loved one. I was standing on the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro. I was at the highest point in Africa looking out over the world. I will tell you a bit later in the program about all my fears, the experience on Kilimanjaro, and how I had to get out of my comfort zone.

But back to Valentine’s Day. I think that we should not wait for Hallmark day for a specific Tuesday, a Thursday, or a Friday in February to show what we really feel. Why put all the pressure for one single day? Perhaps we need to take the pressure off the calendar. I kind of like bringing flowers almost every Friday. I don’t do it because a holiday tells me to do so. I do it because it’s a Friday and it’s the weekend, and because I want the person I love to know I’m thinking of them. Not just on Valentine’s Day, but also some other days. When you show your love consistently all year long, the inflated rates of Valentine’s Day don’t carry so much weight. You have already done the work.

It’s like right here on East to West. I was asked several times in the past week or so if I’m going to do a special program for Valentine’s Day with love songs. And frankly, I’m not going to. I broadcast love songs consistently every program of East to West. There’s no need to put pressure on one single day with a dedicated program for Valentine’s Day.

So tonight, take the pressure off Valentine’s Day. Sit back, relax, and enjoy this journey from East to West. Not dedicated to Valentine, but certainly will have some love songs. Great lineup, great world music. Stay with me for the next couple of hours.”