Valentine’s Day has been globalized around the world, although few people know the exact origins of why we send hearts to loved ones. The tradition has been attributed to a Roman priest Valentine who performed marriages against the wishes of the Roman Emperor. His punishment was execution, but not before supposedly addressing a farewell note to his beloved ‘From your Valentine’.

The last words for an old lover.

Saints were not saints and back in the Dark Ages priests were not celibate. The Holy Catholic Church made no mention of this in their treatment of Valentine’s Day. Not that their priests are celibate either. Still the holiday has been celebrated around the world and in Thailand young people vow to have sex with their lovers on February 14. Thai authorities disapprove of this adaptation of the Valentine rites and officials post police near honeymoon hotels to prevent teens from acting on their desires.

Contradicting this moral conservatism a recent Culture Minister ordered his officers to distribute 10,000 condoms to teens in preparation for their civil disobedience. In truth the boys were praying to be lucky and I know that when I was a teenager girls thought in the opposite direction. Most Thai teens will go to eat with their friends and the boys will dream about getting the green light as they pay for the meal.

Only a few will be so lucky and that’s only because they were lucky before.

So Happy Valentine Day youth of the world.

I celebrated mine with my favorite lover.

A bottle of wine.

I only wish I was halfway around the world with Fenway’s mom.

Mam is my real Valentine.

If only I could click my heels like Dorothy in THE WIZARD OF OZ.

“There’s no place like home.”