As a child, I loved Valentine’s Day. An entire day dedicated to telling your friends and family you loved them and receiving Valentines and candy from every kid in your class? What more could a kid ask for? I couldn’t care less if I had a bit of man-candy on my arm. My mother and father acted as my Valentines, showering my sister and I with roses, boxes of chocolates, bright red and pink teddy bears and cards.
Now I am a tender 19-years-old, rolling solo down the highway of love. I can no longer depend on my parents as a built-in Valentine’s Day solution, as they are hundreds of miles away. No, this year I shall spend it as a single Pringle, because currently the only thing to keep me warm at night is my laptop’s scalding underside. We will likely die side-by-side.
(Kai Casey/CU Independent Photo Illustration)
Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to turn you into the kind of person who considers attending a Match.com single’s night or going on ChatRoulette alone. You can either wallow in your misery by crying in the shower, or you can overcome the adversity thrust upon you by Hallmark and pretty couples.
Forgo the sad playlist you made on your iPod that acts as a soundtrack to the travesty that is your solitude. Crying to “Skinny Love” will get you nowhere. Ugly dancing to “Single Ladies” is OK. And I hear if you drink enough, it tastes like love.
All jokes aside, this may come as a surprise, but being single is not that bad. Take it from the girl whose only serious relationship was in the eighth grade and lasted a hearty two weeks. I’m pretty pleased with my life thus far, and I’ve never had another person define that happiness for me. But please, becoming the bitter Valentine’s Day hater is not ideal. Love is not defined simply by whether or not you’re in a couple. My friends and family make me feel more loved than any fling ever has.
This Feb. 14, I will not be weeping softly as I watch “Ever After.” Rather, I plan to take it upon myself to gather all my single ladies and lads and revel in our single status by going out as a group.
Take it upon yourself to appreciate this “Singles Awareness Day” and be happy you’re free to have random dance floor make outs with whomever you want (though this may not always be wise).
Make a day of it by taking yourself and some friends out to a movie and lunch. Simply put, dedicate this day of love to self love. Try and forget the label put on the day and its commercial purpose and spend it like any other day, just with a bit more indulgence.
Valentine’s Day has been around since the middle ages, so it’s best to find ways of enjoying it no matter what the circumstances.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Megan Curry at Megan.l.curry@colorado.edu.
