Why I Hate Valentine's Day

"We fall in love when our imagination projects nonexistent perfection upon another person. One day, the fantasy evaporates and with it, love dies."

-- Spanish philosopher Jos Ortega y Gasset

Enter one single classroom for about five minutes and you'll soon hear the what all the buzz is about around school: Valentine's Day.

Now, for some it's a happy day filled with love, hearts, kisses, hugs, and roses. For others, like myself, it's just plain disgusting. Now I know what you're thinking, this girl is heartless. But the truth is, I'm not. Think about it, every year millions of people spends millions of dollars collectively to "celebrate" a stupid holiday by giving someone in their lives cards, gifts, candy, and flowers. First of all, if you really loved someone or wanted to do something nice for them why not do the special thing for them to make them smile like sending roses to them on a normal day? Wouldn't that be more special? The vast majority of people get the same thing every year, even if they are with different people. What makes this year's Valentine's Day special? What makes it different?

Not only is Valentine's Day over-commercialized by businesses to make money (such as Wal-Mart making it a TWO MONTH HOLIDAY by dedicating a whole candy isle to plush stuffed animals and nasty chocolate) but it also puts tons of unneeded pressure and stress on people to FIND a Valentine if they already don't have a "significant other" in their life. I mean seriously, in elementary school it was all kicks and giggles when you received a special "Lizzie McGuire" valentine card from the "cute 7 year old boy/girl" who you chased around the playground at recess telling them that you want to give them cooties.

But in high school, what's left for the rest of us? It's no longer a holiday for your whole elementary school/middle school class to participate in coupled with the "classroom moms" who so lovingly baked the best cookies and take-home goody bags for everyone in the class. At least in elementary school you were sure to get 25-30 valentines and some candy in your homemade "Valentine mail box" made out of an old shoe-box. But now you either have a boyfriend/girlfriend to spend the day with and buy cheesy presents for or you are forced to spend the day in a depressed mood only wishing you could be the person to receive cheap plush animals and nasty tasting chocolate.

I mean don't get me wrong, having some to spend Valentine's Day with can be a good thing. But, even last year when I had someone who was my significant other to spend with on Valentine's Day  I didn't like it. It's so stressful trying to figure out something that's not cliche to be a gift. Then you have to worry about whether or not you should even get the other person a gift, oh and don't forget that you don't want to outspend your significant other. What should you wear to dinner? Dressy or non-dressy? Hair up or down? Why does this even matter? Shouldn't your supposed Valentine like you for who you are without doing anything special to prove it to you?

And what exactly do you say to someone who asks you to be their Valentine when you already have one or the person who asks you is obviously a creep? What do you say to someone who gives you chocolate or an absolutely dreadful stuffed animal? Should you be forced to smile a fake smile and say "I love it!"These are the questions that constantly plague my mind. Valentine's Day used to be a day just to send a sweet letter to the one you love, but now it's commercialized beyond belief and the pressure that is put on us is astounding.

Also, on top of all the cheap/cliche presents to one another, the couples who are together on Valentine's Day think that just because it's Valentine's Day that it gives them an excuse to be all over one another between classes and for it to be perfectly okay. NO IT'S NOT. I don't want to see that nastiness! STOP THE PDA. Just because it's Valentine's Day it doesn't give you the excuse to make me want to vomit every time I walk by you and your nasty boyfriend eating each other's faces by your smelly locker! Not cool!

So, this year, since there is no significant other in my life (which I'm perfectly okay with, this is not a plea to have some boy to feel sorry for me and bring me a tacky plush animal and nasty Russel-Stover chocolate) I am going to buy Valentine Cards (I'm looking for Harry Potter cards) for my friends and maybe even make brownies and give them to random strangers in the hallway. I will also be spending what should be my usual lonely Valentine's night with my best friend Bailey and Diego going to a Mexican Restaurant, eating chips with salsa, and speaking spanish to the waiter. It sounds like a great alternative. Less stress, sharing the love. That's what it's all about right??

And that was Lindsey's Thought of the day, where Lindsey shares an Everyday Thought.

P.S. Disclaimer: My mom and dad are always my Valentine, no matter if I have a "significant other" valentine or not. I love spending Valentine's Day with them, but it's still a bit disheartening.