For those of us counting down the days, Single Awareness Day (SAD), or more commonly referred to as Valentine’s Day, is a mere three days away. And no matter what we call it, the name says it all.
This time of year, every year, single people all over the world are reminded that there is a reason why they are not in a relationship.
In theory, Valentine’s Day makes sense, setting aside an entire day out of the year to proclaim a person’s feelings to the person they love is ideal. It’s sweet, romantic, thoughtfull, it’s a bunch of crock.
It is my deep belief that the holiday as a whole is ridiculous, and thanks to profit-hungry greeting card and candy companies the true meaning has been consumed by just that, consumers.
Valentine’s Day seems to revolve around stuffed animals, glittered greeting cards, boxes of chocolates and thousands of bouquets of flowers. And for what, to prove that you love someone. How sentimental, right?
The question that drives me crazy is this, why is there only one day devoted to love?
I understand that having a specific day to celebrate love makes that one day that much more special, but it also seems like such a cop and obligation more than anything else.
People could start to use the “Well, I got you something for Valentine’s Day, so I shouldn’t have to do anything special for you for a long time” excuse after making the effort to celebrate with all the bells and whistles of this one day.
And the unnecessary pressure of having to celebrate the holiday begins to serverely outweigh the value of any teddy bear or singing mylar balloon.
I might be starting to sound like just a bitter old cynic who has never experience a “true” Valentine’s Day, but on the contrary. I must state for the record that the few Valentine’s Days that I have “officially” celebrated have been really memorable and pleasant.
One year I had flowers sent to my house for the very first time and another year I found a care package of conversation hearts and a mix CD left on the winshield of my car. Valentine’s Days that followed began to be less about gifts, and more about the company I was in. These I enjoyed almost more than receiving gifts.
Being single on Valentine’s Day really isn’t as pathetic as some may think. Us singles don’t have to worry about buying outrageously priced gifts, or trying to reserve a table at an overcrowded, overpriced and usually overdecorated restaurant.
Singledom should not be a taboo at any time of year, especially on Valentine’s Day. Just because someone is single, as I still am, doesn’t mean that there is someone wrong with them. And it definitely doesn’t mean we don’t know what love is. We singles simply haven’t found someone worthy enough to take the time and effort to support a corporation’s idea of love.
