Metallic Pink and Red

Adorned in red and pink, students flocked to school, but this was no ordinary school day. Red and pink are not our school colors. Mettalic balloons shaped like hearts with prints of "I Love You", kissie lips, teddy bears, and pleas of "Be My Valentine" quenched many teenage dreams of love, romance, and all things mushy. Today was no ordinary day, it is Valentines Day at an urban high school in Los Angeles. Skinny kids, trendy, nerdie, rock star types, fat, popular, athletes, cheerleaders, wall flowers, dorks, misfits, gangsters, you name it, they proudly toted their pink teddy bears, red roses, chocolates glistening in red foil. Nobody was too cool, too important, or too embarrassed to embrace this day. Not even my very own "pain in the butt" student who I'll call J. Even J stopped me in the hall to wish me a happy v-day and handed me a large, chocolate shaped rose wrapped in red foil, with a long green plastic stem with leaves. A couple of my students gave me little candies and chocolates, even one who admittedly said she gave it to me for all the heartache she causes.

So...why am I writing? Because, even though I know Valentines is just a Hallmark holiday, a way in which companies are guaranteed to make TOO much money on cards, roses, candies--even at the sake of low income kids who buy into this nonsense. But is it nonsense?

Since I had no real lesson planned for 3 of my classes, I found a classic love poem in our textbook and taught that. Then I talked with the class about what true, solid, pure love is. In other words, the non-jealous, non-demanding, non-abusive kind of love. In the last class of the day the kids were asking if I had a boyfriend. They were suprised to hear I didn't. I don't know why they were suprised. They were really shocked, "Miss??? What??? You don't have a boyfriend? How can you not have one? You have one. We know you have one. Don't lie to us Miss." But, the sad truth is, I don't, and the kids just had to rub it in. I mean, I'm not depressed. I'm not crying. I don't fully buy into Valentines Day...but a little love, a hand to hold, a shoulder to cry on, a warm body to snuggle with, a partner in which to share life's thoughts, wonders, adventures...these things...these would be a joy on this V-day.