Valentine's Day Through the eyes of a Fat Chick

Valentine's day. The day where cupid kick starts your hormonal engines into overdrive and forces you to secrete all these lovey dovey toxins.

That's if you are in a relationship. If not, then you secrete a different kind of emotion based solely on the fact that you are single: rage.

Which is strange. Why should the plus or minus of a person in your life ruin one day out of 365 (or in this case 366 because it's a leap year)?

I for one am single, but I feel far from forever alone memes imply. I have family that love me everyday, friends that show affection towards me and not to mention my own selfishness in brashly explaining that-case in point- I love myself.

I think that having all these other people extradite all this love around me brings happier times. It makes me have that faith in humanity because there is still love in the world. Can you imagine a life without love? Go watch Moulin Rouge and see what they have to say.

I love seeing love. I love the fact that people are in love. I don't like seeing people make out in the broad daylight. That is a much different type of love that has a more erotic aspect. I love seeing the couples holding hands. The small smiles they direct towards one another. The simple gestures of gentlemen acting chivalrous and the women daintily thanking them with a simple look. I love seeing those types of romantics out on the streets because that is a true example of a loving couple. They don't have to be all over each other to show that they love each other. They show it discreetly, as if that look is meant only for the one that they are with.

I don't believe that by having a relationship it would make you blissful and happy through all your days. If that is all that you have going for you, set your priorities in a different order. Don't breathe for another person; breathe for yourself. Be selfish and take the other's air supply because when it comes down to it, you are going to want it when the going gets tough *cough* ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE *cough*

I don't think of me as being cynical or neurotic on such a festive day. I just don't believe that you need one day to show a person that you love them. I tell my mom and dad (when I see him) that I love them. I don't need a day to tell me that. She pushed me out of her lady parts and he gave me my body type. I have to show that I love them everyday. And my sisters and my brother and my cousins and my nieces and nephews and whatnot. I love telling them and showing them how much I love them. I can't get enough sloppy kisses from my dogs. The wagging of their tails.

And don't push me in the closet just yet because I feel like I can go on forever right now. Love, to me, is unconditional. I love being in relationships but I won't make it the highlight of my life because there are other things that are far more important. I have school, I have work, I have friends. I'm not trying to make an excuse for myself but to add a relationship on top of everything that I have would just mean no time for me. And as I mentioned before I am one selfish being.

But would I like that special someone to bring me flowers or just a card or even just a hug accompanied by a kiss? Of course I would, who wouldn't?

But, I don't. And again, not killing myself over not having a boyfriend. I don't believe that I have found that person that gives me butterflies as well as goosebumps. That can trigger my mind with questions as well as trigger other parts of my body. I haven't met that person that makes me look at the world and say, "You are the nicest thing I have ever seen." I still haven't found what I am looking for. Not even sure that I will find it anytime soon. But I'm not depressed because I won't have someone to share all this love that I have for others. I will just give it away as I go throughout the day, and continue writing points of view revolving around what I consider important or not.

To all you singles out there. I love you. Happy singles awareness day. Take time in finding that special someone or stop looking so they can find you.

For the couples, happy Valentines day. Show them how much you love them without it losing a PG rating. Honestly no one wants to see that in public. We like to watch our porn behind closed doors.

For the haters, grow up. It's just another day. You don't like the smooching couples, look away. I'm sure if you stare at the sky you won't find anybody making out. Unless you see a cloud shaped like one.

The Muslim Next Door

I recently read an excerpt from a book called the Muslim Next Door and believe me, I did not expect to be so sucked in as easily as I was.

The small few pages that I read had to do with how people from the West have viewed Muslims throughout the years since the terrorist attack on 9/11. And let me be the first to say I have no qualms with people of other religions and respect those that are of a religious faith. Well, more than me at least.

The author, Sumbul Ali-Karamali stresses how people of the Western world can never truly follow or understand the Qur'ran because it has to be studied in Arabic, which is its native language. That did not offend me in any way. It just made me realize that we have done wrong by translating our Bible so that everyone can read it for themselves back in the old days. It's come to the point where we have millions of translations and therefore millions of ways to interpret the Bible. Although there is no definite translation for the Bible, other than the native tongue it was written in Hebrew, thousands of people still plan to read it for their own enjoyment and of course, to try and shove their beliefs down another soul's throat.

I have lost count on how many people have tried to pick an argument with me over religion, and demanding me to explain why my beliefs are better than theirs. I had a friend in high school (while I was talking about my Catholic religion because Lent was coming up) get into a heated argument with me about how the Virgin Mary was anything but a Virgin. It's not the fact that she was offending my religion that offended me. It was the fact that she was wanting to pick a fight with me over the topic of religion.

The reason I don't like fighting over certain topics like religion is simply this: I DO NOT CARE WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN. I have my beliefs and you have yours. Simply respecting my beliefs the way that I am respecting yours should not stop us from being friends.

That was also a problem for the author of the Muslim Next Door, among other things. And I understand that some people are very religious, that it is all they think about and even sleep with a Bible next to their bed stand. I however, do not. And just because I am not a "Jesus Freak" doesn't make me a bad person. God is still close to my heart, and I give praise when I feel like it. That doesn't give anyone a right to brand me as a sinner.

But now I am getting further away from the topic that I was intending to write about. To return to the excerpt, I loved how Karamali was explaining how daft and dumb we Americans have become, further showing off our jack-assery on 60 minutes and picking and choosing certain verses from the Qur'ran to begin a feud with Islam and the West.

For those that don't know, the Qur'ran is anything but a topic of warfare. It is a topic of peace and forgiveness. But many people overlook that with the constant blaring of warfare brought on by the news as they are glued to the television in their living room. If you don't believe me read it for yourself and see. Don't just take a person's word for it, although I will admit Karamali's argument was flawless enough to convince me, or I should say, her examples of the Qur'ran convinced me.