My Valentine is a Film Camera (and I'm Perfectly Okay With That)
Ah, Valentine's Day. That annual explosion of red roses, heart-shaped everything, and enough sugary declarations to induce a diabetic coma. Every year, I watch the spectacle unfold around me with a mixture of amusement and... well, okay, maybe a tiny sliver of envy.
I see couples holding hands, faces glowing with that "I'm hopelessly in love and everyone should know it!" kind of radiance. I witness grand gestures - a carefully curated bouquet delivered to an office, a surprise weekend getaway plastered all over Instagram, even the occasional public proposal that makes me simultaneously gag and tear up (I'm complex, okay?).
It makes me wonder, truly. Is it all genuine, this outpouring of affection? Is it real love blossoming under the February sky, or is it just Valentine's fever, a contagious social pressure to perform romance for the 'gram? Are these lovebirds actually chirping love songs, or just parrots mimicking the mating calls of consumerism? I desperately want to believe in the magic of it all. I want to believe that beneath the boxes of chocolate and the candlelit dinners, there's a deep, abiding connection between two souls. Because honestly, who doesn't want to believe in love?
But you know what? For now, my heart belongs to another. My true love this Valentine's Day? It's filmmaking, baby. Sounds cheesy, right? But it's true. When I'm infront or behind the camera, crafting a story, coaxing emotions from actors, meticulously piecing together a narrative, I feel a tranquility, a sense of purpose, that I imagine is akin to what actual love is supposed to feel like. "The best love is the kind that awakens the soul; that makes us reach for more, that plants the fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds." - Nicholas Sparks.
Okay, maybe Nicholas Sparks wasn't talking about cameras, but the principle remains! Filmmaking ignites a fire in me. It challenges me, fulfills me, and, dare I say, loves me back in its own quirky, creatively demanding way.
So, while the rest of the world is busy showering their loved ones with diamonds and declarations, I'll be snuggled up with my camera, editing footage, and dreaming of bringing my next story to life. Maybe someday, someone will sweep me off my feet with a grand romantic gesture. But until then, my Valentine will be my film camera, and I wouldn't have it any other way. Well, maybe a steadicam too; filmmaking isn't a cheap date.