this is why i'm thankful for justin b

so valentines gets a bad rap. i totally get that. everyone is down on valentines day. just like everyone is down on justin bieber and mariah carey. and ew no, bruno mars is so annoying. the twilight series is a curse word.

first of all, when did we forget that fun is fun? where in the world would we be without tangibly tacky romance and famous teens who sing shallow songs with synchronized dances to match? cooped up in dusty libraries eating saltines?

second of all, we all need reminders that we are not nearly as cool and collected as we'd like to think we are. that, in the end, everyone is in the same boat. valentines day (and justin, mariah, books about vampires who fall in love) remind us of our globally shared desire. the embarrassing bouquet of dozen red roses, the millionth song about love from a 13 year old, a teenage romance to idealic and potentially dangerous proportions is humankind expressing that basic longing for love that defies our otherwise bleak reality. and while we inevitably fall short in our search, we still reach (write, sing, act, dance--explore what it feels like to be human) and that is gorgeous.