Taking a Different Approach on Valentine's Day

U.S. consumers are projected to spend nearly $28 billion on Valentine's Day this year, with $6 billion of it would be spent on jewelry. For yours truly, I've always had a huge disdain over this day, mainly because of it being too commercialized and also shames single people not being in relationships. Normally, I wouldn't disclose details about my romantic life, but I'll share some things about the last Valentine's Day I celebrated. It was Valentine's Day 2019 and received a package from my now ex-fiancé. I'll explain the ex-fiancé part in a bit. I received some roses, chocolates, and some underwear. In June of that year, he and I were engaged. Our wedding date was set for March of 2020. I was in love with him and eager to live the rest of my life with him and also take his last name. During Pride Month, he came from Wisconsin to Arkansas to attend the Pride Parade, after months of him talking to me via text. Unfortunately, at the end of October, we mutually decided to split up. It wasn't because of unfaithfulness or arguments. It was due to circumstances that made it impossible for us to be together. Don't get me wrong. We loved each other so much. The dagger that stung inside my heart was my now ex-roommate married my ex-fiancée. I'm a believer that you shouldn't date someone else's ex, because there's a good chance that it won't go well. My ex-roommate didn't respect my boundaries, and I wasn't pleased with that. I was betrayed by my ex-roommate, and I've always had suspicions that he had been lusting for the man I was with once he arrived in Arkansas for the aforementioned visit. It took me a year and a half to get over the end of my relationship, but I've since stopped speaking to my ex-roommate and I'm still good friends with my ex. He's always expressed how much he still loved me and wished we were still together. We talk every now and then, but we never stopped caring for each other. Alas, I had to move on with my life. At the time we first started talking, he was over 20 years older than me, which I had no problem with. I've always been attracted to older men, as opposed to someone my age.

Today, I treat Valentine's Day like an ordinary day. I forgot one more reason why I'm not a fan of this day. Ads guilt trip couples and single people into buying things that they might not afford, such as jewelry. They put so many unrealistic expectations on them and it's such a devious and manipulative way to force people to spend money on extravagant things. I understand the whole point of advertising is to encourage consumers to buy their products, but you never see sales promoting products for single people. Valentine's Day is nothing but a cash grab, just like any major holiday, such as Christmas, in order for these companies to make a quick buck off of us consumers. Would I like to find love again? Of course, because that's what everyone wants. I don't believe that most people are content of being single forever. We all want to feel loved, but the problem is that these romantic movies and social media make people believe in a fantasy that doesn't exist in real life. If Valentine's Day focused more on encouraging people to love one another without the materialistic aspect being involved, I might change my tune about Valentine's Day. I'm not going to give up on finding a partner who values and respects me, but the reasons I disclosed in this story are the reasons why I no longer celebrate this day. Nearly six and a half years later, I'm ready to open up to the right person again.

What are your personal thoughts about Valentine's Day? Sound off in the comments section below. Sound off in the comments below. If you enjoyed this story, please give it a like. Make sure you follow me on my socials. Finally, please leave a generous one-off tip. It'll be found at the end of this story. Big or small, your tips will support creators like me so we can keep publishing new stories and share them with everyone.