I was always a late bloomer when it came to relationships. It wasn’t until high school that I considered myself to be in a real “love syndrome.” Before high school, Valentine's Day was usually spent exchanging sweet chocolates with my closest friends and watching the “cool girls” talk about their dates. Fast forward a few years later, and I would soon learn how (kinda) beautiful and tragic V-Day can turn out. Now that I’m way older than my adolescent years and encountered a few more hopeless Valentine's Day along the way, I find myself to have become like approximately two-fourths of the adult (women) population: scorn from one of the prettiest and pettiest holidays to exist.
If you’ve ever scrunched your nose at your best friends V-Day plans or rolled your eyes silently while your girl-friends cheesed hard on the phone talking reservations — congratulations, you’re in the club too! While I’m not that type of V-Day snob, I do embrace the side of me that walks a thin line between pessimism and nonchalance.
But why? Why does something that alludes such romance piss half of the normal population off? Although I can’t answer that question in such few paragraphs, I think it’s importance to recognize how past experiences or influenced-perspective has a lot to do with how we look at the world or choose to enjoy certain holidays over another. In short, I’ll argue that if you’re on the other side, don’t bash talk your love ones for discussing date ideas and making one day out the year more special than the others.
But, since this is primarily my opinion, I will also add that Feb. 14 should not be as big a deal as it is. As universal as it is. The level of expectation anticipated for 24-hours is overrated. It’s almost like saying it doesn’t matter what happens throughout the other 300 plus days of the year because this one day will make it all up. Before you disagree, think about all the men and women searching inadequately for a “bae” just so they won’t have to spend the day alone.
Furthermore, why is there a supposed need for a spouse and an awkward feeling amongst those who dine out alone? Social norms continue to raise these barriers of uplift-ment verses denouncement. Or instead, in the act of meeting the pessimism with the optimism why not embrace Valentines’ Day once a month. Or once a week. Doesn’t your love one deserve more than that?
