Happy $@!&ing Valentine's Day

PLEASE NOTE:  This is not an anti-Valentine's Day screed.  If anything, it's actually a pro-Valentine's Day message.



So Valentine's Day is tomorrow.  To me, this seems like one of the more polarizing holidays that we have.  How we feel about this particular holiday so often depends upon our relationship status.  Since this is supposed to be a holiday for lovers, it so often feels like those of us not in a relationship are left out in the cold.  Or at least that is the expectation.  I think it's kind of a stereotype, though.  You don't always have to be miserable in being single on a day like this, but I think society expects those of us who are single to be miserable on Valentine's Day.

Let's get this out of the way:  Sure, as a modern holiday it's a construct made up by the evil greeting card and heart-shaped chocolate industries.  Which means that, just like every holiday we have these days (I'm looking at you, Christmas), it's way too commercialized.  However, maybe that's still better than it's pagan origins:  Back in the day, Valentine's Day celebrations consisted of slaughtering animals and whipping young women, which somehow was supposed to guarantee fertility.  Nowadays, you whip a young woman, and you're either on your way to jail, or getting ready for a really, really wild night.  Depends upon whether she's a willing participant in the whipping, I guess.

This year, I'm choosing not to be bitter over not having someone to shower affections on.  Since moving here, I have increased my efforts at finding someone by a factor of ten, which is a pretty impressive increase over the last few years.  The fact that I have basically nothing to show for it is certainly disheartening, but it is what it is.  I'm not going to begrudge the people who do have someone from celebrating that fact.  I think it's sweet.

And I think we need a day like Valentine's Day.  Our lives are so busy, between work/school, family, hobbies, etc., etc., that Valentine's Day may be the one day of the year that you stop to appreciate your wife/girlfriend/husband/boyfriend/whatever.  It kinda sucks that it comes down to that, but again, it is what it is, and you just have to roll with it.

And yet there's always that expectation that single people should loathe this day.  It's like we're looked down upon for being solitary, at least for one day of the year, if not the other 364.  I would ask you kindly to please not do that.  There's so much pressure on us already to find a mate, settle down with her/him, start a family, and live the rest of our lives in wedded bliss, and we don't need more of it, even if it's only for one day.

At the same time, single people need to not begrudge couples their happiness on this day.  Being bitter won't help anything.  If being single bothers you, do what you can to fix the situation, or just be happy in your current situation.  That's our choice to make.

So I won't be angry about tomorrow.  I will look upon you with some envy, true, but in the end, I will just smile a little to myself, wish you luck, and let you enjoy your happiness together.  Hell, I might even be happy for you.  Just don't try to set me up with your best friend from high school, because that would just be awkward.  Okay?