Live Well: Valentine’s Day reminds us of the joy of having a crush
Hello, loves, it’s me again —
Valentine’s Day’s biggest fan.
I know, I know. You loathe the Hallmark card holiday. We’ve been over this. Must we keep having the same argument? You think it’s ridiculous. But I do not. What can I say? I love a good love story. A good meet cute. A romance that beats the odds.
Where my cynical co-workers saw a phony love affair manufactured for PR between Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce, I saw eros, the Greek word for that wild sort of passion and desire that can lead to agape, another Greek word for unconditional, lasting love. One look at their bright, shiny eyes with the hugely dilated pupils (a sure sign someone is interested in you — the love chemicals oxytocin and dopamine cause your pupils to dilate), and it was clear they were goo goo and ga ga about each other. Now, will it last? Who can say, but at least they’ll always have these early months of infatuation on which to look back.
So, the annual day of love is upon us yet again. Shall we take a moment to feast upon the pheromones of others? And by that I mean let’s all consider the magic of a having a crush on someone.
What is a crush? It’s having heart emoji eyes for someone who lights you up for inexplicable or understandable reasons. And most of the time, at least for me, there’s also something unattainable or unavailable about them, which means the crush will stay just that — a crush. And maybe that’s for the best. These crushes of ours are very real mortals who have very real foibles, values, views and habits that could cause us to go from crush to crashing reality. So perhaps we just enjoy them for what they are, eh? A simple, delightful addition to our days that will never go anywhere but our daydreams.
And listen, your crush doesn’t necessarily have to be romantic. You could have a crush on the new friend you can talk to for hours. Your favorite writer or podcaster. A fitness class instructor.
Having a crush on someone changes the fabric of your days. What was once a monotonous trip to the gym is now a visit for which you bound out of bed. If only to see the handsome personal trainer who provided you with two free sessions when you first joined the gym but has become an indelible mark on your corpus colostrum.
Or, even better, you have a crush on someone at work. Now those eight hours of dreary photocopying and filing are spent in a sweet haze as your schmoopy sits 5 feet from the copier. Never have you been so happy to make 5 million copies of Fred from finance’s latest Q4 numbers. You can’t wait to go back to work on Mondays.
Slightly less better is the coffee shop crush. This crush comes at a cost, as in $7 lattes. But at least your beautiful barista crush with the tattoos and piercings is concocting your morning buzz bonanza. And the way she says your name when said beverage is ready has you floating on a giant rainbow for the rest of the day, or at least until you can get back after lunch to ease your afternoon slump. You’ll be doling out $15 a day to sustain this particular crush.
Crushes start early in life, don’t they? I remember one of my firsts that morphed into however you define a faux romance in the fourth grade. We communicated mostly via passed notes. That’s how he asked me to “go out.”
That’s also how he broke up with me after giving me a few $100 bills. Of play money, my friends. I must have been down on my luck. But then he asked for it back and when I said no, I was the recipient of a hand-scrawled note I can still see in my mind’s eye: “I dump you. Those 100s were mine.” I cried with my best friend after school in a fort in my room, experiencing the best of early female friendship and feminism as she supported my decision to keep hold of my cash.
Ironically, a couple of years ago I somehow stumbled on this former beau’s Facebook page and learned he’d just spent a number of years in prison for — I’m not making this up — embezzlement of some sort. He was now free, though, and loudly proclaiming his innocence.
And then, circa fifth grade, there was my tennis instructor. The universe played a cruel joke on my young heart as he was probably in his mid-20s, but that age difference didn’t stop me from spending a lot of time thinking about him that summer. He nicknamed me Happy Joe thanks to this silly shirt from a thrift store emblazoned with Happy Joe’s Restaurant. I made sure to wear that shirt every time I had class just to hear him call out my nickname as he tossed me practice balls across the net. Swoon.
So, go forth and enjoy this sweet and schmoopy month. And for whatever it’s worth, please know — I’m crushing on all of you big time.
Contact the writer: 636-0270
Taylor Swift kisses Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22.
It’s Valentine’s Day — the perfect time to appreciate the beauty of a good crush.
FILE – Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift walk together after an AFC Championship NFL football game between the Chiefs and the Baltimore Ravens, Jan. 28, 2024, in Baltimore.. Taylor Swift, who is holding concerts in Japan, will make it in time for the Super Bowl to see her partner and football superstar Travis Kelce play.
Taylor Swift kisses Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after an AFC Championship NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens, Sunday, Jan. 28, 2024, in Baltimore. The Kansas City Chiefs won 17-10.
Taylor Swift embraces Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22 against the 49ers.
Taylor Swift embraces Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers, Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22.
Taylor Swift embraces Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce after the NFL Super Bowl 58 football game against the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday, Feb. 11, 2024, in Las Vegas. The Chiefs won 25-22 against the 49ers.