Alexandra Hill ’28 is a prospective English major and creative writing minor. She does research at the IIC Conservation GIS lab and is a member of Vox. When she’s not submitting her columns late, you can find her yapping, daydreaming, or dancing really badly. Contact her at abhill@wm.edu.
The views expressed in the article are the author’s own.
Since the origin of time, Valentine’s Day has only been fun if Cupid has pierced your heart with a requited arrow. If that lucky moment occurs, chocolates, teddy bears and romance sweep joyfully through the day. Roller skating dates, flowers and serenading are in order. For some, it might even be the time to “pop the question” with flourish: “will you [Insert-Name-Here] go to Chick-Fil-A with me?”
The rest of the general populace is often tossed aside and forgotten when Feb. 14 waltzes onto the calendar. They spend the day listening to Laufey’s stellar ballad, “Falling Behind,” on loop, killing the trees by using three boxes of tissues and tearfully rewatching “La La Land.” This melancholy group of non-lovers is left feeling like loners or losers, when being a singleton is not that. Not this Valentine’s Day.
This Valentine’s Day is for all the single ladies, as Beyoncé would say. That is, all the single people, though the latter term doesn’t have the same lyrical resonance.
You see, although Hershey’s kisses, love notes and fanfare are all well and good, the holiday, at its core, celebrates love. We tend to misconstrue this as only pertaining to romantic love, but that’s a pretty narrow-minded view of one of the most beautiful and powerful forces in the world. You see, although “Romeo and Juliet” endures as a tragic love story, it could just as easily celebrate friendship and be dubbed “Romeo and Mercutio!” Okay, that was pretty weak, considering Mercutio kicks the bucket halfway through, but you can’t win them all.
Anyway, we love each other in a million ways. We love our families and/or found families, we love our friends and you know what? We should also love ourselves! Because it’s trendy and cool (and terribly important, but also trendy and cool)!
So, my dearest STWAMPs (Single Typical William and Mary Persons), let’s put on our Valentine’s Day best, mute Laufey for the day and turn on some totally tubular rock-and-roll. After some hard-core jammin’, it’s time to imagine your dream date.
Now, I know what you’re thinking. “All-Knowing Alex,” you say, rudely interrupting my article. “Didn’t you just say don’t be a mopey singleton all day? Won’t thinking about dates ruin my Valentine’s Day?” To which I reply, “Stay with me, people!”
Okay, so you’re imagining your dream date. It starts with receiving a mysterious note from your partner, followed by a limousine rolling up in front of your dorm. You emerge from the Green and Gold Village flawlessly sporting the sickest outfit ever. Your partner has to wear sunglasses because of the glare of your awesomeness. Then you both go to Commons Dining Hall, and the heavenly cinnamon rolls (yes, they are real) are on the menu.
Now, let’s make this perfect date happen, singletons. Well, maybe without the limo, since that would be financially unrealistic. And since you don’t have a romantic partner, they won’t be wearing sunglasses. And cinnamon rolls are never a guarantee at Caf. But hey, you can still wear a great outfit and go!
What’s more, you need not do it alone. Remember me droning on about your life being full of love, even if your bucket of romance is empty? Yeah, those people. Call your Mom at Caf. I’m with her right now, and she says it sounds great. Gather your friends and tell them to cancel their stupid dates and join you. They might even wear sunglasses in the glare of your awesomeness (see above). Or, you know what? Bring yourself, because you are as iconic as Sue Sylvester in “Glee.”
Maybe Caf isn’t your thing. Maybe a dream-date excursion isn’t your thing. Maybe you would rather spend the day writing notes to your buddies, telling them all to read The Flat Hat. Maybe you want to assemble your favorite people and go on a golden hour stroll through Colonial Williamsburg. Maybe you just want an evening of self-care. Valentine’s Day can be about you, it can be about friendship, it can be about your family. Really, it can be about anything you want.
Because love is everywhere. Let’s say you just really love Wawa. Well, guess what? You can celebrate that all day Feb. 14th. You get to decide.
So, dearest STWAMPS, if you gather nothing else from this article, which I pulled out of my … creative spirit … the day it was due, I hope you leave with this: you are as incredible as the astounding album “The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess.” You are full of sunglasses-worthy awesomeness. And most of all, you are loved.
So, happy Valentine’s Day! I’m done now. Yep, I should really stop writing. Toodaloo!
