It’s the fifteenth of February and today you’re feeling one of two, very different ways. Feeling number one: you cannot stop smiling today. There is this butterfly feeling swirling in your stomach. You can’t concentrate because your mind is constantly reliving the glorious details of your Monday night with Mr. Right and the mere sight of the bouquet on the TV stand makes you sigh in bliss. Feeling number two: you can’t concentrate because the enormous, obnoxious bouquet from your roommate’s boyfriend is drooping in front of the television which is positioned on your side of the room. The smell of roses makes you nauseous this time of the year. Not to mention you’re tired of hearing her sigh and smile to herself routinely for the past hour.
First of all, Valentine’s Day has no basis in history other than the name of a Saint who was a martyr. The only display of love I see here is that St. Valentine sure did love God, platonically of course, and that can be said for a lot of people, but you don’t see stuffed bears or candy hearts being manufactured in honor of them. This brings me to my main point. Valentines Day is a purely consumer driven holiday. Now, I realize this makes me seem like quite the hardened heart and a jealous girl who has yet to experience love. On the contrary I am in love and this feeling owes no thanks to heart shaped cookies or carnation flowers.
I had my first Valentines Day date at fifteen. It was quite possibly the cheapest, yet most memorable date I’ve had thus far. I was picked up in his grandma-esque New Yorker and the seats were covered in construction paper hearts. Flowers are expensive and not to mention they die so paper is a brilliant substitute. We went to dance lessons and learned to salsa and fox trot and didn’t drop a dime on it (this story has a longer version that has little relevance to my main point, but just know I’m not a thief…not purposefully any way). We saw a pretty horrible movie at the nerdy clerk’s recommendation (don’t see Underworld). We left the lights on in the car through out the show had to get it jumped by an old couple who I’m sure chose a more fitting movie for Valentine’s Day. We hurried home and finished the night off with soggy, over cooked noodles and blackened garlic bread that had been broiled instead of baked, compliments of a first time chef, myself. There was no candlelight or a tuxedo-wearing waiter but nonetheless, just right.
So maybe you’re gagging or maybe you’re “awwwing” but the point is nowhere in this date did consumerism or the 14 of February create the “magic”. I’ve had a dozen more dates with “Mr. Right” similar to this one and most of them didn’t fall on Valentine’s Day. So just because the calendar marks it doesn’t mean it has to be your day. And just because the Wal-mart ads mark boxes of chocolate down to three dollars doesn’t mean you have to buy them. Even though movies have taught us that Cupid’s arrow only strikes couples, who says he can’t strike friendships as well. So celebrate your version of Valentine’s Day on whatever day you want and with who ever you want and eat mangos instead of chocolate and see who tries to stop you. No one.
Choose to hug an actual, breathing being instead of a pink bear that bares grammatically incorrect sayings on his chest such as “Luv Ya”.
Daily life struck this couple into love, not a naked, fluttering baby.Daily life struck this couple into love, not a naked, fluttering baby.
Valentine’s Day is the second biggest selling day for Flower Shops; Mother’s Day beats it out of the number one spot. Maybe boys have gotten the memo about the paper hearts.
Chocolates and a little wine might sound like a dynamite pair on Valentine’s Day, but face it, you’re a college student, so sugary snacks and an alcoholic beverage aren’t the makings of a night that’s out of the ordinary.