Why do you hate heart shaped candy?

February 14. You see it on a calendar and immediately have feelings or some kind of emotion. Perhaps you have a memory of a great romantic day in your past spent with someone you care for or someone in love's past. Maybe it reminds you of heart shaped candy and cardboard cutouts in grade school. 

Acid reflux, nausea, and utter annoyance. These are my feelings towards Valentines day. Though the origin of the "holiday" may have had meaning at one point, Americans are so far past this now. February 14 is now a Hallmark holiday when men feel the need to be forcefully over romantic (I can only imagine how busy the manscapers are on Valentines) and single women feel the need to down a bottle of wine and a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Funny how if you hate this day and you're single, you obviously are just pissed that you're alone. If you're in a relationship, things must not be going so well.  No, I have not had some man wrong me in the past. I've never even had my heart broken. Oops. No, I'm not bitter because I'm single. Ask guys I've dated in the past. I DON'T DO VALENTINES DAY.

Valentines is day when couples feel the need to come up with the perfect gift for their significant other. Have you ever tried to go to dinner on this said day? Say you're in a relationship and you decide to go out for a nice dinner. Good luck getting reservations. How about roses? Guys wait until the day of to purchase and then there aren't any left. Chocolates? Yes! Rotting teeth! So sexy. Okay, so I personally don't like chocolate but you get the picture. Any of the previously listed items will set you back but any other gifts bought and I hope you have a separate savings account for this ridiculous day.

What happened to showing someone you care all of the other days of the year? Though there are some guys out there that can actually say that they buy flowers for no occasion at all, most don't even think about it until the world celebrates the IDEA of love, mid February. Barf. Grow some balls and show the person you care that you love them on a random day in October. Buy flowers because you are thinking about how much you enjoy their smile or their laugh. Go to a fancy dinner on a Tuesday in May. I can't tell you how many girlfriends over the years have had high expectations on Valentines, only to be left upset. 

So, what do I do on February 14th? Though I don't generally "celebrate" the day, I can't help but think about what the day has so popularly come to mean. Do I buy myself flowers and chocolate or take myself to dinner? No way. I drink a bottle of wine and watch a movie or something. Do I sometimes secretly wish, deep down, that I was madly in love and was spending the day in a fairytale of romance? Perhaps. But only for a minute...

Hugs and Kisses from yours truely.

And, p.s.: red and pink don't even match. And, seriously, it's initials are VD. RED FLAG.