With Valentine’s Day right around the corner, singles everywhere are rolling their eyes and looking for an excuse to be single. What’s our opinion? Valentine’s Day can be great, but it’s also an overrated monument to commercialism that’s only saving glory is that it gives us an excuse to dine out and eat a lot of chocolate.
This marketing machine of a holiday can get some people feeling down in the dumps, and we totally understand. Heart-shaped candy at your local Rite-Aid may have had you stressed out about finding someone special to take out since they started selling it after Christmas. Maybe you’ve just ended a long-term relationship and the thought of happy couples prancing around with their “love” makes you want to lock yourself in your room for the day? Or maybe you’re single and looking and hearing about your friends’ romantic dinner plans makes you nervous about spending the day alone? Or maybe you’re someone who absolutely hates this Hallmark-holiday and plan on spending the day burning bouquets of roses and decapitating stuffed teddy bears in the name of real romance? Whatever your reason for being single on Valentine’s Day, there’s no reason to feel bad about it. In fact, there are quite a few reasons why being single might be better.
Take the day to spend some much needed time on yourself. Between going to class, working a part-time job and sitting down to pound out papers, homework and exams in between, there’s hardly anytime to sleep, let alone do things you actually want to do. Why spend the day making someone else happy when you can focus on yourself? Call up your employer today and let them know that you’ve got plans with the most important person in your life – you. See a movie or go to that art gallery you’ve been meaning to check out. Spend all day rereading one of your favorite books, working on a new creative endeavor or seeing how much ice cream you can eat in a day. Put the hater-blockers up and do whatever you want.
If you don’t want to be alone, get together a handful of other Valentine’s Day protesters and paint the town red! Well, maybe not red, but you get it. Search the city for dinner deals. Two-for-one entrees? Why, yes, we’ve been together for three years now. When can we order? Just because you don’t have a “special someone” doesn’t mean there aren’t special people in your life. Tackle the day elementary school style and give all your friends special notes. Besides, it’s much more fun eating a box of chocolate with friends. You need someone to test out the weird ones right?
And if you feel like you it, just ignore the whole thing.
Yes, a lot of people consider it to be a day to celebrate, but some people have better things to do.
Our Opinion is written by the Free Press editorial board.