new yorkers and love day
I asked New Yorkers some questions about Valentine’s Day.
Here’s what they said:
Kim, 24 & Tariq, 24:
How are you planning to spend the day?
Tariq: The city—some noodles probably in K-town or Chinatown. Something different, a nice, little romantic spot.
What is your favourite love song?
Kim: Diary by Alicia Keys
T: Promise by Jagged Edge
What advice would you give to singles about that day?
T: It’s a day of love, so self-love is a thing too. Take yourself out to a movie, go to a restaurant.
K: Take out your best friend, take out your momma. You don’t have to be at home by yourself, it’s okay.
T: It’s not necessarily about a significant other, per se, in a romantic sense.
K: I agree.
Shamar, 21:
Who is the last person you told,
“I love you”?
* looks at his girlfriend *
Leah.
What comes to mind when you think of the word love?
Leah. The Lord.
I think about the responsibility that comes with loving someone—like God’s responsibility to us as a father, our responsibility to others when we say, “I love you”. Stuff like that.
Why do you think love is so important to humans?
I think love is so important to humans because it provides identity. You loving somebody or somebody loving you provides identity. When a parent tells a son or a daughter, “I love you”, it be like oh, I’m a child of somebody ‘cause this person loves me. Not just ‘cause they gave birth to me but because they love me.
Malcolm, 37:
How are you planning to spend the day?
In my bed.
What advice would you give to singles about that day?
Valentine’s Day is about spending time with people you care about—genuinely care about, whether you love them romantically or not. Valentine’s Day is changing, it’s no longer about romantic love—it’s about just love.
Who is the last person you told, “I love you”?
My mom :)
Lindsay, 41:
What’s your favourite rom-com?
I do love the movies Clueless…and Love, Actually. I love movies that are about women’s journeys. I love broadening what the word “love” means. It could be about romance but not just romance.
How are you planning to spend the day?
I have a tradition that I do every year in New York City. Of course, it involves the Empire States Building. With a friend or by myself or with a romantic partner—I go to the nearest Dunkin’ Donuts and get a heart-themed doughnut. I take a picture of myself taking a bite with the Empire State Building in all its Valentine’s Day glory. I wear pink, head-to-toe.
What does love day mean to you?
I’m not particularly mushy or romantic, but I love to love the people in my life. That includes my students, my friends, my family—I love to love them. Valentine’s Day has never been about romance for me. It’s about pink, candy and love.
How are you spending love day?
<3
