“You are nobody until somebody loves you.”
This concealed, inconsiderate, and calloused message has been promoted and boosted by retailers around the globe to the point that you’ve got to be as blind as a bat to not notice it. That makes the insanity of Cupid’s big moment a stressful reality that is impossible for singles to avoid.
Though V-Day is arguably a nuisance that brings nothing good for anyone, our society is bizarrely under its thumb. It’s no longer just a day to celebrate love; we took it to a whole other level. What to wear, what gift you should get, where to celebrate, down to what caption to write on each couple’s sappy “look how in love we are” Facebook picture! In all of this obnoxious, red-tinted haze, God help the singles.
Even if you’re happy and single (yes, those adjectives can go together), who doesn’t give a darn about V-Day, you still can’t help but get affected by what’s happening around you. By the end of the day you may have very well driven yourself insane. If you are not in a relationship or don’t have a date lined up for February 14th, may you have the best of luck! Here are some of the reasons why this day is far from being an easy task to survive for all the singles out there:
Sometime we can’t live with the void
Over the years, V-day has become so lame that some couples don’t even celebrate it anymore. To many, it has turned into a laughing stock and a symbol of consumerism rather than real love. If you’re single, you know all of this but you still can’t help but feel a little bit of a void. It’s easy to laugh it off but it wouldn’t hurt to have someone to laugh it off with.
Seeing everyone around you in a serious relationship
All of a sudden, no matter which way you turn everyone is in a relationship. If this usually flies under your radar, V-Day will make sure to wake you up to reality like a slap to your face. It’s hard to hide from the truth of your “singleness” on a day that promotes togetherness. That’s when self-doubt will get the better of you.
Realizing red and pink are an awful mix
Every time you enter a store, you are assaulted with Valentine’s Day-themed items, and with each year things get progressively worse. From the big red teddy bears, to the glittery hearts, to even the red roses, it starts to hurt your eyes. On a day like this, you are reminded that maybe red on its own looks hot, but definitely not when it’s mixed with pink. Also, why hasn’t the world decided Cupid is creepy?! He’s literally a man dressed as a winged baby in a diaper, following you and your lover around with sharp arrows. That’s just spooky!
Hearing the endless words of pity and advice
“I wonder why she is single?” “She is so good-looking and so smart.” “I envy you. I wish I was still single.” These ones hurt but they pale in comparison to the other comments you hear from everyone around you on Valentine’s Day. As for the unwanted pieces of advice, they’re a living hell: “You’re too picky! If you just lowered your standards, you’d be in a relationship.” “Honey, you need to get out there more!” And the most infuriating question of them all: “So, when are you getting married?”
Feeling like the universe wants you to feel wretched
Even if you’re happy and satisfied with how your life is going, someone is bound to bump into you and try to make you feel awful. It’s as if there is a code written somewhere that singles should be miserable on V-Day, or on any other given day for that matter. The world has told you that you should be with someone for these twenty-four hours. So if you are not, then you are not supposed to be happy, and you should feel unloved.
Having to listen to the non-single friends’ Valentine stories
When girls in relationships start gushing about how they spent Valentine’s Day with their partner, the awesome gifts they were showered with, and all that overdone romantic jazz, it makes you want to crawl into a hole and die there. With dewy eyes lost in romance, they will narrate their magical night for the millionth time, making it sound like a snippet from a fairy tale. The sad news is you’re obliged to sit through the performance. Just make sure you don’t roll your eyes, or at least don’t get caught.
Being reminded of all the heartbreaks you have been through
You can’t help but start thinking back to the previous Valentine’s Days, the ones in which you were actually in a relationship. Everything going on around you will make you remember all of the heartbreaks where the prince turned out to be a toad, not to mention all the tears and broken promises you’ve survived. Those recollections won’t go away until they have done their damage and left you depressed and sinking into a tub of chocolate ice cream.
However, Valentine’s Day is not just about couples, or at least it shouldn’t be. It is a celebration of love, and even if you are single there is probably still lots of love in your life. So cheer up and take the focus off of your romantic loneliness and what you don’t have, and instead put it on others and what you have to give.
