Valentine's Day

The thing about humans is that we create communities. And traditions, both communal and personal. Sometimes these traditions coincide, sometimes not.

Interesting things tend to happen in either case.

In my case, I have this tradition of starting a new blog every year on Valentine's Day. Whether the world needs one or not - it's a ritual of love for the written word as much as it is a continual process of renewal.

If being is doing, then doing the same thing year in and year out is maybe not the best thing to be.

Which takes us back to the roots of tradition. Tradition is, in part, doing the same things year in and year out. With proper variations on theme, of course - people, circumstances and the world changes over time, and it would be asking the impossible to ask them not to. But in principle, a tradition is a present rendition of the past.

The key point is how we vary these themes. And how much we allow our fellow human beingdoings to vary their presences.

Many prepare for Valentine's Day by sticking to the script. Doing the bare minimum, going through the motions, getting it over with. Every year. Which might be the limit of what's possible, given people, circumstances and the world. Not everyone has the time, the means or even the motivation to make it grand on this particular date each year. Sometimes, you just find yourself in that big project and can't release yourself of its grip in time.

Such is life.

The thing about Valentine's Day is that it's more of an excuse than a must. Any day can become a day of love, after all, and having February the fourteenth marked in the calendar doesn't change this.

But then, every day can become a day of sticking to the script. Doing the bare minimum, going through the motions, getting it over with.

Don't just settle with remixing today. Remix every day -  like it's the last variation of the theme of life. Or the first.

This post is crossposted in two languages. You can read it in lokalspeek here.