Life Beyond the Bar Scene: What’s Not To Love?3

by Laurelin

Fucking YES! It’s almost here, that holiday we all know and love. The holiday where those in relationships are made to outdo last year’s crock of god knows what and those who are single are bitch slapped with loneliness from the second they wake up in the morning until the second they close their eyes at night. God, I fucking love Valentine’s Day.

I suppose I do like the concept. A day for love, a day to be thankful for the one you love and the one who loves you. A day meant to remind us all that unless we’re in solid, committed relationships, we are alone and unloved. I never understood why Valentine’s Day couldn’t just be marketed as a holiday to appreciate the little things as well as your amazing momentous relationship. What about everything else? I think you should find something to fall in love with every day. There are so many things to love, and yet with the hustle bustle of every day life these things are often forgotten.

I love so many things I sometimes feel like my heart could just burst through my ribs, like that scene in How the Grinch Stole Christmas. This year, I’m going to take Valentine’s Day and remember all the things I love about my life even though I don’t have anyone besides a cat to wake up to every morning. Speaking of that, I love the way my cat never wants me to get out of bed. She’ll meow and stretch out on my face to get me to scratch her just a second longer. I love my coffee maker. I love my WWE sweatshirt; it fits perfectly and is still warm and fuzzy even after being washed over and over. I love coffee from Refuge Café down the street from my apartment, and I love catching the sun at the perfect moment as it goes down and perfectly silhouettes the Boston city skyline as I start to walk to work.

I love noticing how every day I’m getting a little better at my pull-ups. I love finally reaching that point in running when I find the perfect clip and I don’t feel like I’m going to die anymore. I love wrestling. I love to write, to read, I love bartending and I love beer. I especially love that first sip of a cold Coors Banquet once everyone is finally out of my bar and I can catch my breath, shut off the fucking jukebox and regain my sanity.

I love the way this one guy smiles: his eyes squint just a bit and I love his dimples. I love the tiny tattoo another has on his left wrist underneath his watch; I love the freckle another has on his left shoulder blade. I love pulling into the driveway of the house I grew up in on Christmas Eve. I love eggs over-easy and French toast, never pancakes. I love Tuesday nights and the sound of the ocean.

Valentine’s Day is February 14th, but there are also 364 others in the year and so much beauty in every day. What’s not to love?

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