The Singles Awareness Day (Feb. 14th) 2009 Thread!!!

[MannersMakethMan]

See, I wouldn't mind the day as such if weren't for everything else that goes with it:

The commercialisation of love ["This Valentines day, do this, buy this for the most magical... Enough already!]

The pity looks when you say you're single [Oh how awful...]

The shocked look when you say you're not overly bothered [But you must be with someone for Valentine's - we'll try to set you up with (insert random name here)]

The incessant babbling about the forced gestures made. [A got me this fabulous XYZ for Valentine's day and we did this, and... - Newsflash! Knowing A, I can honestly say he wouldn't do it if he wasn't strong armed into it. He's a nice guy, but he feels like he has to just because it's VD]

By all means if you need a day set aside to show you love someone, go for it. Some people do need the prod to remind them to show that they really do care. Personally, I'm not so fussed, so let's not go through this rigmarole every year. It's just another day of the year, and 3 weeks today, it won't bother me in the slighest asking for fish and chips for one.

[Akasa]

My circle of friends before I moved had annual F--k Valentines Day parties.
We'd get together and talk trash about our exes and burn pictures, things they gave us, or their names on a piece fo paper if we didn't have anything. We'd have a party till the wee hours of the night watching movies and playing games like Apples to Apples.
Turned Vday into something to look foward to for the first time in my life.

[smileyeagle1021]

Ah yes, the annual, "I'm eternally single for no apparent reason day"

Don't get me wrong, I know that with 15 credit hours at school and 40 hours at work (btw, 15 credit hours means 15 hours of class a week, plus if the instructors are doing their job properly 30 hours of homework), I don't have time to sleep much less have a relationship... that said, it gets really damned old being alone.

[Jester]

Oh, now THIS is a subject that I can dig my teeth into.

Pardon me....first I must stretch. (cracks neck in both direction)

Ahem. (cracks knuckles)

EXCELLENT! Now, let me begin.

It always irks me, this particulary holiday, and the hype put into it. It's like, "Prove to your SO you love them on THIS DAY!!!"

What about the other 364 days of the year, dude? Srsly?

Well said! Frankly, it is my opinion that Valentine's Day is a FALSE holiday, a commercial venture set up by, promoted by, and benefited by the fucking florists, candy manufacturers, and greeting cards peddlers. It is a fucking joke, period. A day for every unromantic asshole and weaselly fucktard of a boyfriend or husband to make up for the rest of the year when they did absolutely nothing for their woman....and women let them get this free pass. While those of us who don't need that special day for such things are sitting there thinking "what the fuck, Chuck?" Because if you are romantic, if you do do special things for that special girl in your life, then this overly commercialized "holiday" is a basically unneeded redundancy for you.

And I use the genders very specifically because, be honest, this bullshit day is about the MEN showing the WOMEN how much they allegedly care. There is no pressure on women to do one bloody special thing for their man, is there? And of course, for the most part, the companies promoting this ridiciulousness could give two shits about gay men or lesbians, as they just don't fit into their pre-set "Valentine's Day" equation--though they will, of course, take their money.

Now I am currently single. This has nothing to do with my views on the holiday. I have had girlfriends going into Valentine's Day, and have espoused the same philosophy, that this holiday is a load of hooey. And most of the girls I have been with have either agreed with me or given me a pass on this day since I am, quite honestly, quite a romantic fellow, and have probably already wowed them for one reason or another.

Normally on Valentine's Day I volunteer to work a double, just so I can rake in that much more money from all the saps and suckers out there who are drawn in by this stupidity. Hey, I may not believe in the day, but just like the companies promoting it, I'll take your sheckels. And I'll use them to do something special for some woman that has caught my fancy on some OTHER day, thank you very freakin' much.

Two notes here. One, if you do celebrate the holiday and are offended by my comments, please go complain somewhere else. This thread is for those of us who despise this holiday so frankly, I don't wanna hear it.

Two, ironically February 14th is a very special day for me. Not Valentine's Day, mind you. But February 14th. Why? Because it's when my mother and father were married in 1957, and also the day that my beloved home state of Arizona became the 48th State, in 1912. Beyond that anniversary and birthday, I could give two flying fetid ferret shits about it.

Yes, I'm an absolute blast at Valentine's Day parties!

[lupo pazzesco]

Though it does get pretty lonely around here because 1/2 my friends are already married and most of the other half have SOs so I'm usually the 3rd/5th wheel........kinda akward. And all my single friends are losers (except my fellow CSers of course ). Oh well I don't care I like being single! It's much more affordable

Ok I'm done ranting now.

I was about to say, I'm a single friend? I'm a loser?? But you recovered fairly nicely.

Here's to being single! I actually don't mind being 3rd/5th wheel, but I guess it depends on the couple. My "unavailable" friends all have pretty kick ass SOs, and we usually have a blast hanging out together.

Well said! Frankly, it is my opinion that Valentine's Day is a FALSE holiday, a commercial venture set up by, promoted by, and benefited by the fucking florists, candy manufacturers, and greeting cards peddlers.

And I use the genders very specifically because, be honest, this bullshit day is about the MEN showing the WOMEN how much they allegedly care. There is no pressure on women to do one bloody special thing for their man, is there? And of course, for the most part, the companies promoting this ridiciulousness could give two shits about gay men or lesbians, as they just don't fit into their pre-set "Valentine's Day" equation--though they will, of course, take their money.

Amen to that as well! Although weighing in as a female on this viewpoint, I'm especially sickened at the commercials. "Women WANT diamonds" "diamonds are the ONLY present your girl wants" "Give her all this expensive shit because she's shallow and only wants materialistic symbols to show off that you love her!"

Ugh! Now, me, I'm equally impressed with something thoughtful and planned out/tailored to what I actually like. It would show the guy actually cares about/knows me? Books on topics or by authors I adore. Music I like. Take me to see that movie I've been wanting, or to see the museum exhibit I've been raving about. Little things, right? And honestly, you don't necessarily have to spend money! Cook dinner or something! The effort, oftentimes says more than the gift itself. I'm not a shallow creature who's greatly impressed by sparkly rocks or expensive chocolates. I don't wear the first and I can't have the second. Whyfor would I be impressed by the assumption that those are all I want for a pseudo-holiday?

And major, MAJOR props to you, Jester, for pointing out the commercialism and how it's tailored to straight hetero (no pun intended) relationships. If you don't fit the mold, you're basically SOL in a big way, and 'tis very irksome. I'm straight, but many of my gay friends have spoken about their hatred of the holiday as well, because, well they're not your typical man/woman buying for what the big corporations consider a typical boyfriend/girlfriend. Which goes back into the above statements about sparklies and chocolates. Totally not worth it.

Now I am currently single. This has nothing to do with my views on the holiday. I have had girlfriends going into Valentine's Day, and have espoused the same philosophy, that this holiday is a load of hooey. And most of the girls I have been with have either agreed with me or given me a pass on this day since I am, quite honestly, quite a romantic fellow, and have probably already wowed them for one reason or another.

Yes, I'm an absolute blast at Valentine's Day parties!

Emphasis mine, because that's the way I think it should be, on the part of BOTH parties. The guy shouldn't be the one doing all the wowing!! I think it's fun and great to surprise someone I care about with a just because something or other. It's just, to me the natural thing to do!

And yes, Jester, you sound like an absolute blast. I simply must add you to the guest list of my next shindig.

[AdminAssistant]

The worst V-day I've had, oh dear. I was having a really bad day, outside of V-day singleness, when a guy buddy (let's be honest, friend w/ benefits) called me. He could hear I was really upset, so he came over and we talked and cuddled and I felt a lot better. Then he ran out to his car and came back with some candy and a teddy bear. It was so unexpected that I just melted.

Until another female friend called me later to say that the same guy had gotten her the same exact fucking bear and candy. I was NOT HAPPY.

I have no idea about this year, mostly because I'm so unsure about BoyThing and I just don't know where it's going, if it's going. So...who knows?

[Jester]

I forgot to mention something amusing I did for this Crapfest a few years ago.

Back when I was DJing at the college radio station, the nearest Sunday (when my show was) to Valentine's Day, we (me and my assistant) did a Black Valentine's Day show.

We played every single anti-love song we could lay our grubby little mitts on, and mocked the "holiday" incessantly and mercilessly.

It was one of the best and most satisfying shows I ever did there.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

I forgot to mention something amusing I did for this Crapfest a few years ago.

Back when I was DJing at the college radio station, the nearest Sunday (when my show was) to Valentine's Day, we (me and my assistant) did a Black Valentine's Day show.

We played every single anti-love song we could lay our grubby little mitts on, and mocked the "holiday" incessantly and mercilessly.

It was one of the best and most satisfying shows I ever did there.

I am to assume "Love Stinks" was among them?

"I have a microphone, and you don't. SO YOU WILL LISTEN TO EVERY DAMN WORD I HAVE TO SAY."

[JoitheArtist]

You know, when I was a kid, I loved Valentine's Day. My dad worked at a paint shop, so we always had these big books of wallpaper samples around: we'd cut them into heart and decorate them with paper lace and glitter. Really fun.

Then in high school and college, I passionately hatred Valentine's Day. Though I dated a bit, I never had anyone special on the day itself. My college used to have a really fun program called "Blue Valentine" on Valentine's Night: they'd set up tables outside the coffeeshop with black roses in a vase, and invite any student band to come play for the attendees. Very fun!

Now? I still am not fond of Valentine's Day, largely because they start selling the cheap crap right after Christmas so I have to look at it for darn near two months, and I hate pink! I'm generally pretty happy with being single, but Valentine's still irritates me, just because it's a reminder that most people are not happy with me being single. They keep saying, "oh, you'll find that special someone" (don't want to), or "there's a lid to fit every pot"(not in my experience). Is it too much to ask for them to just shut the hell up?

[McGoddess09]

Even though I'm not single, I really don't celebrate Valentine's Day either. This year, it happens to land on a Saturday,which is one of the only days I can see the SO because he works from 3pm-11pm Monday-Friday. We aren't doing anything for Valentine's Day.

I like the seasonal candy that comes with it,though.

My worst Valentine's Day was when I was in fifth or sixth grade. I had to go to my great grandma's funeral. It was really sad for me. I could(and still can) remember hearing her say "Bambini! Come-a to your Nana!" (yes. She was from Italy). Also, I was shown around because I have the same birthmark as her, same place,same shape,even same darker coloring!

[protege]

I only have a few words to say.. "Fuck Valentine's Day."

There, I said it Seriously, after being alone every one of them since 2001, it doesn't hold any meaning. It's just another day. Not that it would have mattered before then--the girl I was dating also hated that day. She couldn't see the point--her thing was, why not show your love for someone *all* year? But, it doesn't matter--the past 8 years have been pretty cold. Instead, I'll probably take the MG for a spin, or do what I did on New Years' ...spend the entire day in bed or building models.

Even so, if *one* more relative remind me that I don't have anyone...I'm going to hit them.

[RetailWorkhorse]

Did you know that we also seem to have a "Sweetheart Day" as well? It's a couple days before Halloween.

They must've decided to pull that one to get more money.

[Slytovhand]

Down here, we don't have a public holiday for it. - So crap, I can't get double time

Where I work, they actively encourage doing anonymous Valentine's things to your 'secret love' type thing... yeah!! Way to embarrass people!!!

Otherwise, I'll be sitting it out alone again. Not that it matters, the commercialisation is crap!! It's actually about being with the one you love, it's about spending big bucks to show them... ummm... something.... Yay for not being shallow.

Protege, aren't you sounding a little hypocritical there. First you say "Fuck Valentine's Day", and then you go onto say that you'll spend precious 'quality' time with your true love...(your MG).... go on - admit it... isn't that the real love of your life??

[ArenaBoy]

Valentine's Day is an advertiser's, florist's, baker's, restaurateur's, and card maker's wet dream. Aside from Christmas anyway.

That said, last girl I dated she was content with me cooking for her. Save money, my cooking's a lot better anyway (Having a mom who works with chefs helps), and it's relativley cheaper.

[Miyon]

Love the topic. I will not be part of the V-day club but and content with my singlehood.

But I have to say with so many single guys on here, one of you needs to call me. I sooo sick of my lack of sex life, its torture.