In past years, I haven't given a moments thought to it. But for some reason, yesterday, the fake Hallmark hype of Venereal Day prompted a shame spiral down the mental staircase of self-doubt. "How embarrassing to be single," I thought and even contemplated NOT going out salsa dancing as it would be a testament to the world (people who don't give a crap whether or not I sleep alone), that I, in reality, have no secret boyfriend who waits for me at home. I did concoct a story about how me and said pretend boyfriend broke up right before the holiday, and this has, actually, happened to me years past. But then I realized that the only thing worse than going out alone on Valentine's day is not going out because you care about what other single people think about you to such a degree that it dominates your life and decisions.

And then I spoke to a friend who was mad at her husband, and, suddenly, remembered how horrible Valentine's Day can be when you are in a relationship and hate the person you're with. And then I remembered bad moments in relationships with a variety of people, and suddenly, being single felt like a huge accomplishment. And so I decided to celebrate Freedom From Fucked Up Relationship Day, and felt really good about myself.

Just for today, I can celebrate Valentine's Day.