Excessive spending ruins holiday experience, kills mood

I h8 Valentine’s Day — I said it.

I am single, but I have my beaus, and we go out on random dates, on random days of the week whenever it is convenient.

But being single is not the reason I hate the holiday. I am a closet hopeless romantic, and I still hate the holiday.

I have been in relationships during the big V-day and still had major problems with it.

Why do I need one day of the year to show someone I love that I love them, or vice-versa?

Honestly if someone wanted to be romantic and buy me things I would appreciate it tons more if they bought it on a random day. Why Feb. 14?

Why not June 27 or Oct. 28?

I like the thought of it, but being in love or caring about someone is not about buying someone the best gift on a specific day of the year —unless it is an anniversary. Show everyone love every day.

Especially since Valentine’s Day has turned into a Hallmark holiday and the biggest goal is to see how much more debt companies can get men to go into to buy their girlfriends the biggest and shiniest diamond ring.

Let’s face it guys, when has there ever been a commercial for Valentine’s Day talking about what WE want this year?

Don’t worry, I will wait…

I did not think so.

I enjoy spending time with the ones I love and I do not feel it absolutely mandatory to see a significant other at a fancy restaurant where the two of us will exchange gifts that we both paid too much money for then spend even more money on the food and movie so we can go and hangout behind closed doors.

So by the time it is time to do the ‘big deed’ that has been building up all day it can almost be ruined because of all the stress both parties put into making this holiday perfect when it could have been spread throughout an entire week and caused less stress trying to fit it into one 24-hour time frame.

What is even worse than the holiday itself, though is, when I call a friend to catch up around that time or I will log onto Facebook and see constant griping about how much it sucks being single around this time of year.

I cannot explain to anyone how much it annoys me when anyone tells me they need to be in a relationship to be happy and these attitudes tend to come out the strongest in the coming week.

Don’t believe me? Log onto Facebook on V-day and scroll through statuses and stop every time someone mentions the day.

First, the people so utterly in love it makes me want to puke because they are so cute and post their entire relationship online.

Second, the ones who gripe and moan about how being single is the worst because the holiday is all about being with someone.

Third, and possibly the worst, the people who use Facebook and other social media to find a date to take them out or to take someone out on, is annoying.

Fourth, and my personal favorite, is when a couple wishes each other a happy day and then they start arguing because he did not buy anything or something. Meanwhile I grab popcorn and watch the show, because it’s just so dumb.

Valentine’s Day is way overrated and too much money is spent on it per-year.

I do, however, have plans to celebrate it with some drinks at a bar and after party at someone’s house.

Spread love; just do not use this one specific day to do so, spread love all day, every day.

By BRYAN JONES

Senior Editor

jonesbry@umail.iu.edu

Check out features editor, Samantha Frazier, opposing view column here