(Written on Feb. 14th, but saved as draft until Feb. 2 
Today is Valentine’s Day. Each year I feel I learn more about my relationship with the world around me. I love the idea of V-day, but as I become more socially aware I learn that my choices may have implications far beyond comprehension. Yes, I’m talking about the industry of Roses, and other social rituals that we humans are trained to think “is right.”
At Russell Sage College, Dr. Chrys Ingraham, one of my favorite sociology professors, wrote a book called White Weddings. At the time I was planning my own wedding so I had mixed emotions about the value of her research. In this book she analyzed the history of weddings and it’s treatment of women and the industries relating to the “white wedding,” including the diamond industry and sweat shops. I say this as I glance at my ring finger that is adorned with a glistening heart-shaped diamond…
I write about these instances where my integrity is pulled in many directions because I think most people try the best they can, but sometimes we live in such a sheltered world that it is not always easy for us to see how each decision we make affects others - possibly across the world and for centuries to come!
How does this relate to roses on V-day? In my local paper a journalist shared some interesting facts about the flower industry, including that most of our roses are grown far away, with toxic chemicals, and often leave young workers with horrible, chronic illnesses. Still aching for that rose on V-day? This article helps to highlight some of the issues.
Today my hubby found a rose on the ground that someone dropped and he gave that to me during lunch. It was nice to receive such a nice gesture. I guess the moral of the story is to not only try our best to be good to the earth, but to really admit that sometimes it is hard to do everything “right” when so much of our culture is materialistic and driven on values that do not defend the environment.
