OUR VIEW: It’s bliss or hate on Valentine’s Day

After haphazardly pasting pink hearts and red construction paper to an L.A. Gear shoe box, the most difficult thing about Valentine’s Day as a third-grader was getting the glitter and glue off your arm.

But at some point, it stopped being so simple. At some point – probably when the training bra made its first appearance – it got more complicated.

Suddenly there was an unwritten book of rules and, somewhere around Article 3, Section 2.4 of that book, it said it was unacceptable to just give your loved one a card with Troy Aikman pointing to a heart with the words “You’re No. 1” in it.

Over the years, Valentine’s Day has become a commercial beast and a money-maker for the greeting card, jewelry and floral industries.

And do you know what? No one cares. Including us.

Few people know the legend of St. Valentine and fewer actually care to pay homage to him on Feb. 14.

Sure, Valentine’s Day forces couples to put a monetary value on their relationship. Sure, it causes incredible amounts of stress. Sure, it’s depressing for those of us who are alone. But there are solutions to these problems.

If the cost of Valentine’s Day activities is too extreme, talk to your loved one about it. Be open and honest about your financial situation. If they are unwilling to accommodate you, perhaps you should give them the boot.

If you’re bitter about being alone, be more adventurous in pursuing romance. Or, try lowering your standards.

Valentine’s Day can be 24 hours of bliss or hate, it’s up to you. Just remember to stock up on candy hearts.