Today, I learned a very valuable life lesson. Not what the inherent dangers of dressing a honey badger up to look like Justin Bieber are or what H.P.V. stands for or even what happens when you use more laundry detergent than the recommended amount or any other such things. This lesson was all about love, or more precisely, the lack there of.See, yesterday was loves biggest, most commercial day of the year. No, not 50% off night at Chubby's Exotic Dance Club. I'm talking about only the most exclusive holiday of them all, Valentine's Day.
I call Valentine's Day an exclusive holiday, because it's really the only holiday that has restrictions.
Let's face it. Valentine's Day is essentially a holiday for couples. True, there are plenty of men and women who proclaim that they don't need a significant other to enjoy the holiday. And technically this is true. Although, I compare it to being single and purposely showing up to the skating ring on couples only skate night. Everyone smiles at you, but deep down you know they are just pitying you because you're alone.
It's this very reason, that I avoid asking people what they did on Valentine's Day. I'm always worried someone is going to be like, "I just sat at home, ate a whole pizza by myself and watched tv because no guys like me" or "Not so good. Jenny broke up with me for her tax guy" or ...well, you get the idea.
There's a lot of pressure to be with someone just so you aren't alone. I know people who have said yes to dates with some pretty crazy creepers just so they wouldn't be alone on Valentine's Day.
That's why I feel maybe Valentine's Day needs an overhaul starting with the name. How a holiday named after a massacre caught on is beyond me, but I'm thinking we change the name to something a tad more friendly. Perhaps call it, Hey You Day or Have You Met Me Day.
In addition to changing the name, I feel that instead of being geared towards couples in love anyone would be allowed to celebrate. Single or not, it wouldn't matter. The whole purpose of the day would be to just learn a little more about the people around you and treat everyone with respect. I think the world needs that more than it needs paper Valentine's with Justin Bieber on them and 'coked out' looking frogs clutching tightly to plush hearts with cute phrases stitched on them.
Oh, and for those of you concerned about your heart boxes filled with chocolate, you need not worry. The giving and receiving of candy would definitely remain a part of the holiday. Logically, it only makes sense. Giving people things makes them happy and chocolate definitely makes people happy. So, it would be an irrational action to remove candy when it obviously brings people closer together.
And after all, isn't that what should be happening on Valentine's Day. People coming together whether they single or a couple or whatever, to give each other candy.
