Once upon a time, there was a man named Valentine. Valentine liked to marry young couples. But big meanie, Emperor Claudius II Gothicus of the Roman Empire, forbade it. Nevertheless, Valentine kept on marrying those young couples. To set an example, Emperor Claudius beheaded Valentine and that man named Valentine became Saint Valentine.

For some reason that charming story of bloodshed gradually spawned into the day of mushiness and capitalist feeding frenzy that we all know and love. Or hate.

Out of all the joke holidays, Valentine’s Day ranks in at a close second right underneath Halloween. Valentine’s Day is the result of America’s innate desire to buy things for no apparent reason. It’s the same driving force that makes us storm our local stores during Christmas time only slightly diluted.

As you might have guessed I am currently single and maybe slightly bitter. Instead of bitter I like to think of myself as a Champion of Lonely Men. But my bitterness does not come from the fact that I am single, but from the false notion that Valentine’s Day portrays. Relationships are not full of romantic boat rides and moonlit dinners where an Italian guy sings about the moon and how it looks like a big pizza pie. It’s tough.

One third of marriages end up in divorce and most relationships split before that simply because they weren’t right for each other to begin with. But if you find someone who does nothing but annoy you and get on your nerves yet you still want to be with that person, that’s a winner.

If you are lucky enough to be in a relationship with a special someone, don’t give into the Valentine’s hype. It only solidifies the impression that the relationship is based on money.

Plus why does there need to be a special day for this kind of thing? Don’t cram all your love into one day. Let him/ her know that you care everyday.