By Robert Johnson Jr.
Editorial Staff
Ah, yes. Valentine’s Day.
The one day in a given year that contains more self-loathing and romance-related jealousy than any other day – and, yes, New Year’s Eve comes very close.
Every year, the game plan for single people like myself is one in the same – look on social media and observe all the mushy “happy Valentine’s Day to my one-and-only” posts and many reposted memes about people receiving that one message Team Snapchat sends every user of the service – you know which ones I’m talking about.
Don’t act like you don’t.
While most of us look back in anger and resentment toward the act of romantic love, I do have a proposal for you, and not a proposal of the romantic kind. Listen, rings don’t come cheap, and I’d rather use that money for video games and comics, thanks.
This Valentine’s Day, I challenge you to not shake your fist at your Facebook timeline or your Instagram feed, but, rather, I implore you to give love to those who mean a lot to you in your day-to-day life.
Yes, I know that saying “I love you” to people that you have no romantic affiliations with is a tough thing to do for people who only recognize that simple phrase as a “phrase you only use with your significant other,” but there’s no need for something so sweet to be held back by societal “standards” of the past.
Instead, let those words out! You only have one life and you have a lot of loving potential in you!
For most of us with favorable parental units, telling them that you love them is a very natural process, and, hopefully, you’re not in a romantic relationship with either of them.
Why can’t you do the same with your friends, whether you’re in a relationship with them or not?
If your friend is into hugs, give them a tight one, but with consent.
If your friend likes being kissed on the cheek, go give ‘em one, but with twice as much consent.
If your friend is feeling down about not having a significant other for the seventh year in a row, go and tell them that they deserve love, too!
Love should not be reserved for that one person you’ve been eyeing on Instagram for weeks on end, it should be shared openly with everyone. And while many readers of this newspaper might have that special someone in their lives, which I am definitely not bashing in the slightest, I challenge you to make sure that love gets spread to those around you.
Heck, if you’re not even into being mushy, do something kind for another person, or get in the habit of going out of your way for someone you care about. There are many ways to convey and display love!
The world is already tough enough as it is – do your best to make sure that love is always going around for those who need it the most.