Happy Valentines Day

My Funny Valentine

It's that beloved holiday that creeps up on us every year to remind us that we need to buy a Hallmark card and some chocolates, or reserve a table at a dark-lit restaurant in a lame attempt to appear, "romantic." And, if you think that is annoying, try being single and reminded that you don't have a date on Valentines, just as you were getting over your insecurities from New Years Eve. In, fact, the two holidays are so obviously consumer-driven for the "couples" that it should be labelled, "Amateur Night part 1" and "Amateur Night part 2."

It seems odd that we should even attach romance to a Christian holiday that originated by recognizing martyrs - all of whom served the church and had suffered and died for it. Mmmm.. maybe it isn't such a stretch from romanticism.

All I know is modern love is something not preached by the church or by David Bowie. And for this Chicago-born Italian, Valentines day marks the anniversary of the Valentines Day massacre which celebrates its 90th anniversary. For those of you who missed school that day, the Valentines Day massacre took place in 1929 in a Chicago garage where 7 men where gunned down after forced to face a wall by what they believed to be a police raid. These raids where common during the prohibition era. The victims where part of the Irish north side gang led by Bugs Moran and believed to be murdered by the Italian south side gang led by Al Capone. The garage was demolished in the 1960s and is now a landscaped parking lot.

Nothing romantic about this story, but it does give me an idea of what to do this weekend. I'm filling a flask of Baileys and sharing it with one of my many Irish friends, if not all I can pile into my Range Rover and drink in the parking lot of 2122 N. Clark St. where that bloodbath occurred. Maybe I'll even pick up some cannolis.

And when I get home, I have several episodes of Love American Style, that 70's sitcom that featured short vignettes of love stories often starring television personalities such as Karen Valentine and John Davidson. Ah, a perfect mod evening.
Happy V.D. all!