North Texas Daily

The Editorial Board

Remember when you were in kindergarten and you actually looked forward to Valentine’s Day? Not because of its romantic undertones, but because it was a chance to stop learning those awful Hooked on Phonics flashcards, talk to your friends while eating ice cream and drinking cherry Kool-Aid. Maybe (if you were lucky), you could slip a note into your crush’s papier-mâché heart-shaped box and giggle all the way home as they tried to figure out who it was that signed in X’s and O’s.

Fast-forward about 15 years and suddenly everything’s changed. Your Hooked on Phonics is now a 15-page research paper or expense report; your Valentine’s card is a creepy Tinder message; your Kool-Aid is wine, and your ice cream – well, you’re probably still eating ice cream.

But why? Instead of enjoying your naïve capacity for romance, you cry as you drive back to your apartment and clutch your cat watching re-runs of “Grey’s Anatomy.” Why not take this holiday for what it is, and use it as an excuse to have some fun?

This Saturday night, when the dread of waking up alone on Valentine’s begins to plague your soul, take a step back and make the choice not to wallow. It can be understood that the idea of an “Anti-Valentines Day,” when you celebrate being single, sounds like one of the worst episodes of “How I Met Your Mother,” but the idea can be taken in whichever direction you choose.

Grab a friend and hit the town. Make some memories and enjoy the fact that, at least for now, you don’t have to answer to anyone.

No single friends? Go out and make some new ones. Appreciate family, coworkers, maybe even your dog. Just please, don’t feed it any chocolate. The great thing about the Internet is how easy it has become to connect to whole groups of like-minded people, beyond Netflix-and-chill.

Whatever you do, don’t spend the evening crying, scrolling through Facebook, looking at your ex’s profile or despising those posting about their night with their significant other – as obnoxious as it might be.

The best part about being a 5-year-old on Valentine’s Day was that you didn’t feel pressure to be a certain way or attach to someone else at the hip. You just lived.

Newsflash: it doesn’t have to be any different now. In fact, it can be better! You have far more resources, intelligence and capabilities than you did in kindergarten. Granted, it would be a lot easier if your mom would stop calling you and asking why you’re single, but who would she be if she wasn’t always nagging you?   

Bottom line: Valentine’s Day is about more than romantic love. If you are committed to wallowing in your single-ness, just know that someone out there loves you. Be it your parents, your friends, your pet or your Xbox Live pals, there is someone, somewhere, who cares deeply for you.

There is no reason you shouldn’t take this opportunity to realize that. If you are lucky enough to spend the evening with someone, good for you! If not, then heed the words of the infamous Barney Stinson and “suit up.”

Featured Image: Samuel Wiggins | Staff Illustrator