Just how dangerous is an open heart?

"Just how dangerous is an open heart?"  Sex and the City quote of the week, from season 6, episode The Domino Effect, #85.

This episode was on tv this morning, a very edited version, and I have no idea why I wrote the quote down.  I just did.
Few minutes ago, I was flipping channels after wrestling was over, and saw a commercial for Valentine's Day cards. All this stuff started swimming in my head suddenly.  I mean everything. Past relationships, family interactions, my personal desires for the future, romance novels I've written over the years that might never see the outside of the bin I keep them in, the old couple the maintenance guy was talking about, the strange lady from the lady's group at church mom's part of who grabbed me in the grocery today hugging me, to the overwhelming sameness that all the men in this city use that axe body spray. (seriously, I know it's suppose to have more then one scent, but when every man in the city is wearing it, it all smells the same)

Relationships, romance, and believe it or not I'm going to throw tolerance in this mix. This part of the season brings out the best and worst in people for different reasons.

So just how dangerous is an open heart?   In the episode, Carrie is worried about Mr. Big having to go through heart surgery, and in a brief moment of complete surrender, Big makes a comment about them getting married, only to ignore it a few hours later. Which when you think about the whole series, is the underlining theme between them. Being scared to open up to the one you really love.

Valentine's Day.  If you've read much of my babbling over the years, you know it's like my arch nemesis. You'll also know that this year I'm feeling slightly more positive about the whole deal.
I don't believe that you need one day a year to confess feelings of deepness and sexual desire for someone, you should be able to do that all year round.  But what if you can't?
What if you're the type of person that just can't break open your cold shell like that?  What if a day like February 14th is a form of armor for you? The chance to say what you long to say without total fear of the big bad bite of failed love?

It's so easy from this strange position of observer, to forget that I'm not the only one dealing with the scars of past bad tidings. Everyone has their heartbreak and happy endings that stay with them.
As someone who wears their heart on their sleeve, I have to say,  having an open heart is the most dangerous thing ever. But sometimes the results are worth the pain.