5 Ways for Singles to Enjoy Valentine's Day

Being alone on Valentine's Day sucks. Being alone sucks, but it's made all the more disconcerting by fuzzy, gushing holidays. In early February, dramaturgic images of love are everywhere. You are constantly reminded of the fact that you don't have someone to send flowers or chocolates. You don't have someone to pamper. How can singles make it through Valentine's Day without feeling heartsick? While some singles choose to be unattached, some of us begrudge our status. Here are some ways you can take advantage of Valentine's Day.

1. Send a valentine to a platonic friend of the opposite sex. It can be a goofy, juvenile greeting card with candy enclosed or it can be something more meaningful that lets your friend know how much you care about them. It doesn't have to be a friend of the opposite sex. I get a good laugh out of sending my male buddies syrupy cards that are fit for elementary school crushes.

2. This suggestion is a no-brainer. If you drink, gather up a gaggle of your single friends and get sloshed. Sure, you could do that on any day of the week, but commiserating with your peers over a broken heart on Valentine's Day can be cathartic.

3. If you're a guy, going to a strip club with your single padres can be rather enjoyable. It may be a sleazy, mindless thing to do, but lap dances have been scientifically proven to be short-term cures for loneliness. Well, maybe "scientifically" isn't the right word. This tip could also apply to women. Go nuts!

4. Maybe you're the charitable type. Why not go to a hospital and hand out valentines in the pediatric ward? I'm not sure what measures you would have to go to prove to security that the valentines aren't coated in harmful chemicals or that the suckers aren't poisonous, but it's an idea. You could also try an orphanage or a group home. Consider this your atoning good deed after going to a strip club the night before.