BELONGING TO MANY WORLDS BUT BELONGING TO NONE

AN ONLINE MAGAZINE

| 2006 Archive
| 2005 Archive
| 2004 Archive
| Respond

FROM THE MARGINS | BY PATRICK AZADIAN
Los Angeles Times Valley Edition | Glendale News-Press | February 11 2006

Got love? The whole kind, not fat-free...

Valentines day is upon us. For many, it will offer exciting prospects; for others, it will be a routine responsibility; and for the rest, it maybe a day full of disappointments and sadness.

There will also be the nihilistic bunch, who will claim they are aloof toward the holiday, thus cutting themselves a small but defiant niche in society. Their indifference may even be rooted in the argument that Valentine's Day is yet another concoction by the corporate world to expand consumerism.

Despite popular belief, Valentine's Day is neither a creation of greeting card companies nor is it a campaign by jewelers to sell more diamonds. It's not even a plot by Willy Wonka at the Chocolate Factory to take over the world.

Whatever its origins, the fact remains that Valentine's Day exists. And it's a day for lovers to let each other know about their feelings.

It sounds like a nice holiday.

Although the meaning of holidays can often get diluted, we should remember, this is a day for romantic love. It's not an occasion for platonic affection, it's not a day for family warmth, and it's not an excuse to gift your puppy a new leash. This is simply a day for romance.

So what are the elements of this so-called romantic love?

First, romantic love must involve some kind of a surprise, a chance encounter. This is why blind dates and family setups by my always-resourceful aunts Arminé and Sonia have harvested so little fruit. For me, it's like walking down the aisle at my neighborhood supermarket, and seeing all the non-fat and reduced-fat milk cartons, which claim they are good for my heart. Yet, my attention is always diverted to the small pack of whole milk glass bottles in which the cream rises to the top. They don't make milk bottles like they used to, and it's not everyday that I come across one of these beauties. My eyes lock on to the curvy bottle, and before I know it, I have one in my cart to take home.

Romantic love is about anything but convenience, and often defies logic. Not unlike my choice of whole milk, too much of it can even be bad for your health. Objectively, I know the fat-free, tasteless kind is low in cholesterol, high in Calcium and Vitamin D. The whole kind may even be bad for my heart, and it may cause unwanted weight gain. Yet, I am drawn to the rarely available retro shaped bottles with the original formula.

Romanic love is also not easily controlled. It may drive you nuts, but it may also be the source of butterflies in your stomach. It shouldn't matter if you are in your teens or in your 50s. And despite the French-Armenian singer Charles Aznavour's claims to the contrary, you are not supposed to be able to walk away from the table of love when nothing is being served any more. You maybe sitting there staring at your empty plate for a while, but it shouldn't be so easy to walk away from it all. Just as our whole milk, if I was ever to develop a sudden lactose intolerance, I know drinking it would drive me crazy, but I also know I would have a hard time getting rid of the habit.

True love may also be the basis for a lifelong commitment; it can keep couples together through thick and thin. If you have romance, you actually want to prolong the experience. Just like I can think of endless activities with my whole milk. I can drink it plain, I can make ice cream with it during summer, and when it gets old, I just let it rot and eat it as yogurt. Once it reaches the yogurt stage, I can even use it to make myself a nice taan (an Armenian/Persian drink, made of yogurt, water, Himalayan sea salt, and herbs). Even when the milk finishes, I probably wouldn't part with the bottle.

I can keep it as a container for chilled tap water, and trick my guests into believing it originated from the Slovenian Alps.

Romantic love is also known as the highest form of self-fulfillment. Just think of the joy of opening up a fresh bottle of unpasteurized whole milk and spooning the cream off the top, before gently dropping it into a freshly brewed cup of coffee.

And lastly, romantic love is not overtly predicated on a desire for a physical act. This is especially true in the beginning, which is in stark contrast to casual dating. I will refrain from carrying the milk analogy to this category.

In any case, the meaning of romantic love can be idealistic, pure, juvenile and very rare. Come Tuesday, I'll be doing my laundry, or shopping for groceries at the nearby supermarket.

Copyright 2006 Glendale News Press