I’m suspicious Valentine’s Day is just a consumer trap. But when you have a girlfriend, that doesn’t really matter.
When I was younger, Valentine’s Day was a big party with candy and paper hearts. I didn’t really know what I was celebrating, but it was super fun, so I didn't care.
Then in middle school, Valentine’s Day became a race. People competed for the most gifts. It felt like a scheme to get us to buy heart-shaped junk.
Last year I got a girlfriend, we shared the same skepticism of Valentine's Day and agreed to skip it altogether.
But the night before, I got worried she’d feel left out. So I ran to the grocery store. When I surprised her with flowers and balloons, she smiled bigger than any Costco-sized teddy bear. That's when I finally understood why people like Valentine’s Day.
I’m still not convinced that Valentine’s Day isn’t a scam. But I’ll go along with it. Sometimes, we do things to make the people we care about happy. So, yeah, on February 13th, you’ll find me in the checkout line, heart-shaped candy in hand.