Cupid's calling

Never, ever open a fortune cookie on Valentine's Day. Two years ago, my roommate and I, both single, decided to celebrate alone with Chinese takeout. Opening up my fortune cookie was shocking, to say the least. I don't remember the exact phrase, but it had the sentiment that I would never find true love. The Chinese word to translate on the back was "single (unmarried person)." Way to rub it in on the most lovey dovey holiday of the year. I've been a little bitter since then.I wish Valentine's Day in college was like it was in elementary school. We'd make paper mailboxes and everyone was required to give Valentines to every person in the class. You'd always make sure you gave the best of the little folded cards to your favorites - maybe your crush - but everyone was loved equally on the Valentine's Days of our younger years. Everyone loved each other, and the lame cartoon characters that boasted "Valentine, you're grrrrrr-eat" proved that solid loving bond. Or, at least proved your parents picked out your Valentine's again that year.

If only the holiday were still that simple.

Valentine's Day has lost most of its original meaning and typically is a reason to buy overpriced, glitter-filled greeting cards and gag over the ridiculous amount of red and pink hearts everywhere you look ... unless, of course, you like that kind of mush.

For so many, including myself, V-Day goes from those shades of red and pink to that deep gray area when you're not sure how to proceed with your Valentine. If you're dating someone, but haven't had that "we're official" conversation, should you expect to celebrate Valentine's Day with that person, or do you spend it at the bar with the other single saps?

It's such an awkward holiday when you don't know where you stand. How many times do you think you know who your Valentine should be, but turns out you were wrong? When I was still in high school, working at a grocery store, I made a giant sign out of paper bags that asked the kid I liked if he would be my Valentine. I figured a lame attempt at humor was a better option than flat-out asking. After all, our first date had been about a week prior. He took me to see Nanny McPhee, a remake of Mary Poppins. How romantic (or not).Turns out, he didn't want to be my Valentine, and neither did the eight male cashiers and bag-boys. I finally got a yes from the man who worked in the frozen-foods department. He may have been 80 and seen one too many Valentines in his life, but I was not Valentine-less that year.

It seems as if the holiday needs a total re-vamp. We need to put the sentiment back into the holiday, but it needs to be a holiday that bridges the gap between the coupled and the single. They're two distinct groups and V-Day just makes it worse for those on the lonelier end of the spectrum. The holiday needs to be a day where we can celebrate all kinds of love: friendship, serious relationships, our pets, insincere relationships, roommate-love, occasional hook-ups ... anything, really. When Feb. 14 rolls around, look around you and find any person you appreciate and give them a cutesy elementary school Valentine, or send them flowers or give them the nauseating little boxes of Conversation Hearts that say things like "U R GREAT" and "MELT MY <3." Just simple gestures could make the holiday that much happier for singletons.

Of course, I can say that we need to all look out for each other Feb. 14, but when it all comes down to it ... no matter how bitter any Valentine's nay-sayer may be, they're most likely secretly hoping someone will come and sweep them off their feet this Sunday. They just don't want to say it. I know I am.

Until the day where the bitter become better, let's bring back the elementary school mentality. This Sunday, get your 8,000 Valentine's ready - one for each student at Brockport. Spread some joy this Valentine's Day. Even if you're single and bitter.

P.S., I prefer sunflowers and daisies to roses.