What is love? A question posed by dreamers, philosophers, and a headbobbing Europop club song back in the day.
To see if anyone had the answers, we walked South Main Street in the St. Louis suburb of St. Charles during its event Once Upon a Valentine: Stories for the Loved and Loveless. The outdoor festival drawing visitors to the historic Old Town shopping area was held Feb. 10 and 11. It had a genius umbrella theme – as everyone is presumably loved, or loveless, or perhaps haplessly both at the same time.
At the event, a quartet of singers known as The Lonely Hearts Club burst into harmonies for visitors strolling the sidewalks, giving George’s Michael’s “Faith” a rollicking barbershop-style makeover. The 1950s-flavored singers, dressed in leather jackets or red retro windbreakers, said they were the perfect entertainment for the event. “We’ve all been through several heartbreaks,” entertainer Mary Ellen Ellington explained, as at least two of the other three singers appeared to agree. “We’re very anti-Valentine’s Day. We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to spread the message.”
Down the street, Cupid looked on as kids practiced the bow and arrow, shooting at a heart-shaped target.
It sounded like the ancient Roman God of love’s day had been full of diplomacy.
He bemoaned his own rocky relationship with Psyche, and said at least part of his afternoon had been spent convincing members of the public that he would not use “less savory arrows” against people’s exes. He had become something of an impromptu complaint department for romances gone wrong.
“I’ve had to offer some apologies for my poorer work,” Cupid said. But he believed love would triumph, explaining the general tone of the day had been “LOVE-ly.”
Meanwhile, a veiled and white begowned Miss Havisham offered art therapy in front of an outdoor fire. The famous character from Charles Dickens’ “Great Expectations” encouraged visitors to write the name of someone who had treated them badly and to throw it into the flames. “I hope it’s not me,” my husband said.
Perhaps an ex?, Miss Havisham suggested. I told her I’d been married too long to be concerned about an ex. “The patriarchy!,” she encouraged, explaining I could oppose the patriarchy, pencil that onto my paper and throw it into the fire. Sounds good to me, Miss Havisham. Before I left, I asked if she wanted to impart any love advice.
“Never trust a man, keep a cold heart and when all else fails, let it burn,” she said. Miss Havisham – just as dark as you’d expect her to be.
So where could one turn for love? It was certainly in the air and contagious, too. No fewer than three people paid me unexpected compliments as I walked down the street and then posed for a picture with my spouse. Whether parents with children, married couples, happy partners, or friends walking together, people were happy to celebrate love.
We strolled by Romeo and Juliet, playing a game with the public where they let them suggest alternate words as they ad-libbed new versions of some of the bard’s most famous lines. And while we didn’t hear these words as we walked by, every smart writer knows when it comes to exploring the nature of love, only William Shakespeare and here his fair Juliet may have the last word:
“And yet I wish but for the thing I have; My bounty is as boundless as the sea, My love as deep; the more I give to thee, The more I have, for both are infinite.”
-Writing and video by Betsy Taylor, Photos by David Carson, Technical support Ava Carson
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