Single on Valentine's Day?

As art and design students, we are taught to walk around with our eyes open. At Otis, there is always a lot to observe: art in progress, interesting people, different languages and much more.

But let me be honest with you guys: all I see on campus are couples everywhere! And of course, all of them are just so happy.

As one might guess, I am single. Most of the time, I don’t really care about my or anybody's relationship status, so I started to wonder what triggered my sudden awareness of couples in my surroundings. I was already fighting myself trying to accept my ticking biological clock when my last excursion to Target showed me the answer: Yes, it is that time of year; Red and pink hearts and other symbols of cuteness for sale everywhere. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!

For one day a year, we must all be good to the one significant other in our life and show our appreciation in 

buying: 

1.  Anything pink, or red, or heart-shaped
2.  Flowers, preferably overpriced roses
3.  Stuffed animals that are as dazzlingly cute as our loved one
4.  Chocolates or anything chocolate-covered (preferably heart-shaped)

You know what, scratch that list: to sum it up, anything that helps the businesses make loads of money. 

Instead of four seasons, we should have six: Fourth of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s Eve and Valentine’s Day. Since we don’t have much of a variation in the weather in Southern California, at least we'll get a sense of change through the merchandise in the stores. 

While all other “seasons” don’t necessarily bother me, Valentine season seems completely pointless to me. Why do happy lovers need one particular day to remind each other of their love and appreciation for one another? Valentine’s Day – or rather the vast economy profiting from it – misleads us into measuring our partner’s dedication by purchasing goods. And here we are every February 14th, giving away cards saying “You are all I need,” oblivious to the capitalistic trick that has been played on us. What a wonderful day of love and hypocrisy!

On the other hand, there is the rest of us and certainly the majority of people I know: the singles. For them, Valentine’s Day is nothing more but Single Awareness Day. Do we really need a day to make us feel bad that for some reason we are single this time around? Again? Should we believe all the cards and illustrations telling us that only a couple is worth a day of celebration? I say no, we shouldn’t. 

Even though I generally think Valentine’s Day is the most unnecessary of all “holidays,” I have a suggestion this year. No matter if you are part of a couple or single, take February 14th to remember yourself as the most important person in your life. Let’s take the 14th to celebrate ourselves and love ourselves for our decisions and achievements. Forget Valentine's Day, let's make it Single Awareness Day! And to all of you who can only think of Single Awareness Day as the darkest day of all, remember all the other 364 days of the year, you don’t count on cards or candy to make you feel good about yourself either.

So, here's to Happy Single Awareness Day!

- S.K. -