With the upcoming holiday quickly approaching, I am filled with anxiety. Valentine's Day is by far my least favorite holiday, and I have excellent reasons to feel this way. Don't get me wrong, I will be accepting any and all gifts Wednesday. But the sweetheart I have chosen is myself.

Emphasis is supposed to be placed on love, yet, like Christmas, the focus tends to shift to money and material objects. Pressure builds on everyone to define the relationship and put a price tag on it. The best present isn't always the most expensive, so long as it's exactly what we wanted.

Too many people out there have low self-esteem and believe they must have a significant other to be complete. How can you expect anyone to love you if you don't love yourself first? Narcissism in small quantities can be very uplifting. "To love one's self is the beginning of a life-long romance," said Oscar Wilde, in An Ideal Husband. Accepting and loving me for who I am is the greatest thing I have done for myself.

My dislike for the holiday is deeply rooted in my past. I remember in middle school, they used to sell carnations. Never receiving one made me feel I didn't live up to someone's standards, and of course the cheerleaders had more flowers than they could carry. I never was a member of the clone party; I was different. Now I accept this and proudly flaunt my individuality.

Last Valentine's Day was miserable. I had a special someone, but we were fighting and both too stubborn to concede for the sake of the holiday. My best friend and her man let me tag along with them, but that night, all I could do was drown myself in chocolate and self-pity. Now that he's out of my life, I realize what a worthless sack of potatoes he was.

Wednesday, I plan to wake up and look in the mirror at my sweetheart. Long auburn hair, freckles, hairy legs (just ask, I'll proudly show them!) and tell myself that I am not conceited. I am beautiful, confident, and fully prepared to face the day single and determined.

I plan to spend this holiday with an expansive love of many people and many things, rather than focusing on one and ignoring the rest.

Platonic love can be found in close friends, and I know this is much stronger than a sexual desire. My roommate and I have been close throughout countless romantic escapades and no man could ever come between us. Sometimes they get upset when the best girl gets to ride in the front seat. I'll love her forever.

There's a lot of love here at OU, and many people would like to feel it, too, because the admissions office has been swamped with applications. I love the planet, which is why I am excited about the recent funds for recycling bins around campus. Passionately recycling for years, I believe everyone should make it a point to take advantage of this progress.

If you know someone who's single you should do something special for them Wednesday. Valentine's Day is notorious for making the unattached feel unhappy.

I'm spending the day with my favorite person - me.


Jenni Greff is a journalism sophomore. Her column appears every other Tuesday.


For more information about Valentine's Day, go to http://www.theholidayspot.com/valentine/index.htm.
hello there & you too