In “The Art of War,” Sun Tzu tells us to “know thy enemy.” In this case, the enemy is not a person, but rather a date on the calendar; its army made up not of soldiers, but rather lofty expectations and quixotic fantasies. It is a day devoted to love and adoration for those in your life whom you hold dear — expressed through cartoon turtle ninjas exclaiming “Cowabunga, you are one cool dude!” I am, of course, talking about Valentine’s Day. With February 14th looming menacingly on the horizon, I thought it wise to take a moment and get to know our ‘enemy,’ reflecting on just what exactly Valentine’s Day means, how it started, and most important, how to survive.
