Valentine's Day: It's Not Just Another Day

I've made no secret about Valentine's Day being my least favorite holiday. In fact, I personally don't see it as a holiday because I still have to go to school and my mom still has to go to work. The only way V-Day becomes a true holiday is if Hallmark's President is elected President of the United States. I'm sure the President of the US has the power to declare holidays. I'm sure it's somewhere in the constitution.

But this post isn't about making Valentine's Day a federal holiday, it's about my hatred for the day itself.

I've tried (unsuccessfully) to ignore and discredit V-Day as much as possible. I've been referring to it as "that day," "that Wednesday" like Bill Parcells talked about Terrell Owens as "the player." I tried looking away, but obviously I failed. Valentine's Day is like a car wreck, it's bad but you can't take your eyes off of it.

My hatred for Valentine's Day traces back to my days as a grammar school student. I never got Valentine's cards from any of the girls I liked. Heck, I was happy to get anything from anyone in those days. Personally, I liked chocolate, specifically Fannie Mae chocolate, which was always my gift from my mother who always knows how to make me happy when I'm sad. I guess that's just what mom does.

That hatred grew as the years went on and I still continued to have a dark cloud over my head on Valentine's Day. No Valentine for me. It grew to a fevered pitch in high school where it was celebrated to the umpteenth degree. People getting gifts before, during and after class. Happy couples all over each other. The hallways decorated in red and pink with flowers and balloons everywhere. It sickened me to the point to where when Valentine's Day game around I would take a personal day and cut school. I know, it's juvenile, but why depress yourself by surrounding yourself in an atmosphere you absolutely hate?

The saddest Valentine's Day was in 1998, when I found out while watching the news, that Harry Caray had suffered a heart attack while having dinner with his wife Dutchie. I knew Harry would pull through, there was absolutely no doubt in my mind that Harry Caray would get out of this condition and find himself broadcasting baseball games as soon as possible. Unfortunately, Harry didn't pull through and died on February 15th.

That was the most heartbreaking Valentine's Day ever. That day was one of the most hurtful days in my life. My idol had died. Kids my age wanted to be doctors, lawyers, actors, actresses....I wanted to be the next Harry Caray. Coincidence or not, Uncle Harry as I called him, died on the day I despise the most. I guess it makes sense as another reason on why I hate Valentine's Day.

I can't say that I've had one happy Valentine's Day. Not one that was completely and truly happy. Something always went sour on Valentine's Day, and it always happened in bizarre ways. Like a girl telling me she wasn't interested in dating anyone, then dating three guys in a span of two months.....two of which were friends of mine. Or what I thought was a well written "love note" getting lost in my backpack and me unable to get the words to tell her how I felt before it was too late and she was dating someone else. Valentine's Day brings out the worst in me.

On a closing note, I won't forget how bad I felt last year on Valentine's Day last year. Last year's bad V-Day feelings dwarf freshman year's classic "I really, really, really.....like you" drunken rambling. My ex-roommate's girl had this extravagant plan on decorating our room for him on Valentine's Day and I decided I'd do my part by leaving the door unlocked for her, but I (Mr. Bitter About Valentine's Day) told her that if one decoration got on my side on the room that I wouldn't be happy. When I woke up that morning, I looked around and our room was well decorated....well, his side was. I looked at my side and there was nothing, and I thought to myself "this is sad." I'll be honest, I was jealous. But think about it, wouldn't you if you're roommate had this wonderful girlfriend that was willing to surprise him by decorating his side of the room and giving him nice things on Valentine's Day?

As for me. I spent my Valentine's Day alone in my room. I made myself dinner and cheesecake, then watched SIU lose a pivotal game at Bradley that in the end was one of the reasons they didn't win the MVC regular season title.

So what does this year's Valentine's Day have in store for me? Not much if anything. My mom sent me Fannie Mae chocolate's, so that could hopefully soften the blow of not having a Valentine, again. After that, nothing. There's no girl that I'm crushing over. There's no one that is going to be my Valentine. Heck, there's no chance that my room, let alone my apartment will be decorated.

Once again, Valentine's Day is gonna suck. I'll probably work on some homework, and then do some heavy drinking. Not that there's anything wrong with that.