Her View
Here you have it girls. Valentine’s Day is back. Who’s excited? Drug stores and supermarkets certainly seem to be. They started loading up their isles the day after Christmas with candy hearts and “I love you” balloons. Everyone’s favorite, Victoria’s Secret, seems to be cashing in big time on all of the Valentine’s hype. Too bad we all can’t get one of those bodies to go in the little outfit instead of the traditional box of chocolate, which we coincidentally probably don’t need.
Regardless, Valentine’s Day has caught on like a bad Britney Spears song and you can’t go anywhere without hearing about it.
Valentine’s Day is supposed to be the most romantic day of the whole year. I am here to tell you, I don’t buy it. Despite all of the Valentine’s Day commotion, on Feb. 14, you are either one of two things: single or not. Either way, Valentine’s Day is just a reminder of that fact. The question remains to be answered. Is Valentine’s Day better for those of us in love, or is flying solo the only way to spend the day?
For those of us girls who are currently available, we are most likely surrounded by friends, roommates and sisters who are madly in love and disgustingly happy. The flowers pile up on their dressers and desks until the place looks like a scene out of “Bed of Roses.” They hug and kiss while we get nauseated and try to do our homework despite the blissful glee of our love-struck friends.
However, Valentine’s Day isn’t necessarily a sacred 24 hours of worry-free fun for everyone who has a significant other. While there is an abundance of romantic fun to be had, there are also a few logistical concerns about Valentine’s Day to consider (for those of us who plan on participating that is).
First of all, there is the issue of where to go, what to wear, what to purchase for your date and whose money to purchase it with. Let’s face it folks, coming off of the heels of the holiday season, we’re all broke.
Secondly, if the “I love you” hasn’t been exchanged, is today the day? Or if you haven’t been feeling the same way about your love in a while, can you last through Valentine’s Day to cushion the blow? These are all questions that the single Valentine does not have to consider.
Maybe the point to make here is that the grass may always be greener. You may want a Valentine, or you may wish you were single when date time comes on Feb. 14. Either way, the key to having a happy Valentine’s Day, is maintaining a positive outlook, no matter whom you wind up spending the day with.
So whether you’re sitting at a fancy restaurant with the love of your life or in front of the couch with your best friend, whether you’re saying, “Please pass the rolls” over this huge bouquet of roses, or “Please pass the Ben and Jerry’s” over this pile of tear stained tissues, be proud of who you are, girls. Be happy with yourself single or committed, and realize that it isn’t a Valentine or the lack thereof that makes this day the good one it can be. Have fun, alone or together, and remember Valentines is just another day of the year.
His view
There is much to be said about Valentine’s Day. It’s that one day out of the year for people to express their love for someone, in the most expensive way possible. One day to say “I love you” to that special someone. But there are so many other days you could say that to someone anyway. So, what is the story with this day?
Cupid is in the air and he’s setting the scene for romance. Guys scrambling around and dressing appropriately for dinners with girlfriends and worrying about the gift they bought. Buying gifts for anyone can be a strenuous task. It seems as if everything has this secret kind of meaning these days. Buying your girlfriend too much candy may send one message, but not buying your girlfriend enough candy will send a completely different message. Besides, some may argue that Valentine’s Day is just another corporate holiday. Another day out of the year to feel obligated to buy someone something that they do not want or need.
Stuffed animals or teddy bears should not be a symbol for anything. Believe me, it is humiliating to walk out of a store with one of those big red heart shaped candy boxes. The boxes that have the obnoxious shiny coverings that are an immediate eyesore by Jan. 2.
Let’s not get started about Valentine’s Day cards. Guys that do not write to their parents are not going to write to their girlfriends.
Let’s turn Valentine’s Day into this new grassroots movement. No more dinners, candy, cards and dead flowers. Learn to appreciate the people that love you. On this day spend some time calling the people that love you. Call your family and let them know that you are alive. Spend some time talking to that special someone that you love, before you shower them with all of that Valentine’s Day garbage that will never be seen again. What can you give the person that you love, time, compassion and understanding. Spend time with the person that you love and listen to what they are saying, before you speak.
