Get A Life!
Surviving Valentine's Day: Six Strategies for the Single
Note to all spinsters and bachelors this Valentine's Day: do not indulge in a pity party for one. If the sight of Interflora blooms, heart-shaped chocolates and helium balloons feels more painful than rubbing raw chillies in your eyes, don't show it. Wallowing is unstylish and doesn't become you, so please don't do it. The trick is to get out there, grab freedom by the balls and celebrate! Commiserate? Pah! There's a party to be had this February 14th and we're going to show you how.
This feature was published in February 2008.
1) Head to the pub
Most couples will be in restaurants eating heart-shaped melon balls (puhleese!) and buying dodgy red roses off the bloke with a bucket (ditto). Being in a pub on V-Day is a bit like Christmas Eve – everyone's up for it, loads of single people and free-flowing fizz. Hurrah!
2) Spread the love
A random act of kindness, a bunch of flowers for your mum, a text telling your bezzy how much she means to you. If you make someone happy it has a euphoric effect on you too. It's happiness shared twice. Schmaltzy but true.
3) Go food shopping at Waitrose
Why? Because it's the ultimate pick-up supermarket. Early evening is about right, any earlier and you'll get caught up in commuter rush, any later and sod's law dictates that you'll meet the man of your dreams just as the store is closing. Choose aisles where you can legitimately dawdle: cheese (Stilton not Dairy Lea please), wine and the deli are reliable hotspots. And when you approach the checkout always queue behind someone you like the look of. Do not, under any circumstances, quote Steve Martin in My Blue Heaven "you know, it's dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section. You could melt all this stuff." Ew.
Most couples will be in restaurants eating heart-shaped melon balls (puhleese!) and buying dodgy red roses off the bloke with a bucket (ditto). Being in a pub on V-Day is a bit like Christmas Eve – everyone's up for it, loads of single people and free-flowing fizz. Hurrah!
2) Spread the love
A random act of kindness, a bunch of flowers for your mum, a text telling your bezzy how much she means to you. If you make someone happy it has a euphoric effect on you too. It's happiness shared twice. Schmaltzy but true.
3) Go food shopping at Waitrose
Why? Because it's the ultimate pick-up supermarket. Early evening is about right, any earlier and you'll get caught up in commuter rush, any later and sod's law dictates that you'll meet the man of your dreams just as the store is closing. Choose aisles where you can legitimately dawdle: cheese (Stilton not Dairy Lea please), wine and the deli are reliable hotspots. And when you approach the checkout always queue behind someone you like the look of. Do not, under any circumstances, quote Steve Martin in My Blue Heaven "you know, it's dangerous for you to be here in the frozen food section. You could melt all this stuff." Ew.
