Challenger

Oh, I know what you’re thinking. Eric Pinkston defending Valentine’s Day and love in general? No, I didn’t lose a bet, and it’s not a sign of the apocalypse. I believe in love. The only problem is that what I think love is and what most of the people here think it is are very different things.

So, Amanda says love never works out how you want it to. Well ... yeah. Love was never supposed to be easy. It’s not the same thing people try to make it -- it’s not just being obsessed, and it’s not always what you experience with your high school sweetheart, despite what so many people have said.

When you’re talking about love, as in the kind of love you feel with a girlfriend/boyfriend, it can’t just be obsession. First of all, the feeling has to be mutual. If both people don’t have feelings for each other, then the relationship isn’t very likely to last long. As for the definition of love, well, it is different from person to person, but here’s a general idea: When you are with a person you love, you should be able to make each other happy/comfortable, to make each other feel better. You should be willing to make sacrifices for each other, but in general, each person should be happy with who their significant other is.

I didn’t mean to trail off into the love rant (I seem to be good at ranting, though) but that needed to be said. If you share that with someone, that’s love. Really, I didn’t even believe in love myself until -- and here’s another surprise -- I met someone special online. Never mind that they live 400 miles away.

Anyway, romantic love is not the only type of love out there. When Valentine’s Day comes around, there are so many kinds of love that get overlooked and taken for granted. Love for your parents, love for your siblings, love for your friends, and -- remember your Bible studies -- “Love thy neighbor?” We seriously shouldn’t need a designated day of the year to express our love for other people, but oh well. If you’re single or in a bad relationship when V-Day comes around, it’s perfectly okay to get a bit depressed. That’s to be expected. But you shouldn’t ever take your family or friends for granted.

Want a good relationship? It’s not so hard to find one. Just don’t look for someone based on their looks or athleticism -- personality is what really matters.
Ranting again. I do that a lot. By now, though, I’ve said pretty much everything I wanted to. True love isn’t as simple as high school students say it is. Don’t forget the love and appreciation you should hold for your family and friends. It’s perfectly fine to be angsty after a break-up, just don’t take it too hard.
When V-Day comes around, guys and gals, I have one simple request: Show some love!

Amanda

Ok, Pinkston...whatever! I don’t think you have ever experienced the love I’ve had and (of course) not had. Love stinks and the smartest people in the world will tell you this. I am not saying that love does not exist but to a point it’s a game for the romantics who think there is nothing more important. Well, flip that script. Love is exhausting to the point where I am through with it.

Love never works out the way you want it to. I want someone to love me when I love them back. I am a girl, I know what I am talking about....you boy! Like all these high school couples thinking they are in love but in reality the boy or the girl is really being untrue. High school love is all a big joke. Really, about one in ten people make it their whole lives with the same person from high school. After May 17th, all of us seniors will be on our own in different cities or even states so keeping a high school love will be almost impossible.

The holiday Valentines Day is simply ridiculous in many ways. First of all you spend all this money on a guy that will probably break your heart the day after Valentines Day anyways. It is seriously depressing and all these couples that are loving all over each other just makes me totally sick to my stomach. Now love, I admit, is not just for relationships, it is for family and friends. Eric does have a point there, but lets pretend I never even said that..

I know a lot about love and I have had some interesting experiences in the past three months. Beleive me, if I could tell the story I would, but we don’t have enough space for all that. “ Love is truly not real.” That is just one of my favortie things to say. All it does is break up friends, families, and eventually relationships.

Love is work. Getting paid for it would make it so much more interesting. I would love to be in love with someone but finding that one special person is hard. You think you found him and it turns out to be like someone totally creepy. The thought of love is actually scary not just the person you are dating.

Well, since I have been writing this alot of things have happened to me in the love department. It is all working out for the most part. But yet love in high school is still over-rated. I know all kinds of people that are getting married in a couple years. Wow, that is really scary. Like thinking about that is really weird. Knowing that i will be attending weddings for my friends in to years.

All I want to say to these kids in love, or kids that think they are in love, is that you need to love yourself and your friends first. Your friends are going to be there forever; they are the ones who understand you even when you act a little strange or if you wear an outfit that totally doesnt even match. That’s the only love I believe in.