Cupid's Arrows

I went to Hallmark last week looking for a birthday card and was assaulted by a store covered head to toe in red. This can only mean one of two things, either the store was the unfortunate scene of a brutal massacre, or Valentine's Day is rapidly approaching. Frankly, I'm not crazy about either scenario. To help prepare myself for the season, I thought I would take a trip down memory lane and remember some past V-day experiences.

1996: I was a senior in high school, and had met the man of my dreams at a college orientation weekend only days before. Dreamy guy drove an hour and a half to show up at my door with 13 roses. Instead of being flattered to receive MORE than a dozen roses, I reminded him that 13 was an unlucky number.

1997: Despite my less-than-poetic reaction to his gift the year before, Boyfriend #1 was still around, and I'm sure we did something cheesy and romantic to celebrate the day. I was cheesy and romantic back then.

1998: This marks the beginning of commitment-phobe Becky (Or as a friend liked to call it, "Bec 2000"). After breaking up with Boyfriend #1 soon after New Year's, I was testing the waters with Boyfriend #2: a fellow civil engineer. We celebrated V-day with a weekend trip to St. Louis. The new relationship went into a tailspin when he presented me with a CD that he hoped would make me "remember him while I studied abroad in Australia in the fall." AHHH! Flag on the play. We didn't last through the next week.

1999: A rose arrived at my door from "man of my dreams" No. 2 - my Australian soul mate. The 10,000 or so miles between us proved to be a significant obstacle to dating, but we've been close friends ever since.

2000-2003: I spent the next 4 years in and out of short relationships, but predominantly single. Valentine's Day meant dinner with girlfriends followed by watching cheesy movies like "Sleepless in Seattle."

2004: After running into an old college crush at an Illinois football game in Pasadena, we decided to try a long distance San Fran/LA relationship. Sitting in the Oakland airport waiting for my V-day flight down to LAX, I realized that I really would rather hang out with my friends than spend a romantic weekend with college crush boy. Two months later, I pulled the plug.

2005: I have no recollection of what I did for Valentine's day last year. How sad is that?

There you have it. Given the above, I think the required course of action is clear. We should just pull Valentine's day right off the calendar. Based on my experience, Cupid doesn't have very good aim.