A couple of days ago, my coach took me with her to an interview for a local radio program. She told me that on the way back, she needed to stop at the mall to pick up a huge, heart-shaped cookie she had ordered for her husband. To make a long story short, we forgot to stop and had to turn around to get it. When we got there, they had not made the cookie and told us it would be another twenty minutes. My coach was all stressed because she had a million things to do for the then-upcoming show against University of Georgia, the first-ranked equestrian team in the nation. But she needed that cookie. Her husband was going to be gone all of the week of Valentine's, she explained, so they were having their Valentine's dinner the preceding Saturday. She really didn't want to, she said, as she was going to be exhausted from the show and grubby, but it was their only chance before Valentine's.

And that got me thinking. Valentine's Day is a stupid holiday. Sure, it's great to tell someone you love them. I don't have a problem with that. It's great to have an excuse for romance or what-have-you. But people get _so_ stressed out over it that it really defeats the purpose of having a day dedicated to love and relationships. Maybe it's just me, but I think a couple should have a romantic dinner on a relaxing evening where they can enjoy each other's company, not have one because they're expected to do something of the sort (and subsequently have to deal with hordes of people doing the same thing).

Then there's the whole "oh my gosh I don't have a boyfriend/girlfriend/cat who loves me I suck and so does my life" syndrome. I know and know of so many people who get all depressed because Valentine's just reminds them that they want "someone" and don't have a him/her (usually a him; most guys seem perfectly happy not being tied down).

So why do we pour all this effort into a day which is supposed to be about love and ends up being stressful for so many people? Why is the focus on romantic love? Why don't people also use the day to let their families know how much they care? Why is it named after some saint who had nothing to do with romance? Really, Cupid's Day would be more appropriate in today's setting.

Maybe it's different outside my neck of the woods; I don't know. Maybe my brain is just too tired to think straight. Maybe I'm the only person with sense on the entire planet.

Yeah, that's it.

La"I will celebrate tomorrow with a riding lesson and team meeting"Zorra