Valentine's Day can be a time to spend with friends, family

Here's a challenge for the mopey, relationship-hating Debbie Downers: Have some fun on Valentine's Day.

You don't have a significant other to spend time with? Good. You have the opportunity to have some fun with no strings attached. Enjoy your independence.

To most, this probably seems like a strange attitude to have. Bitter people refer to it as "Single's Awareness Day" and bitch about not having someone to cuddle with. The cutesy, couple-oriented activities irritate most who are perpetually alone.    

Who decided that your happiness was contingent on a man buying you flowers? Or having a girl in your life to buy flowers for?

Like any issue, solving the bleak aspects of singleness on Valentine's Day is a process, and there are several steps to this process.

Step one: Redefine the term "significant other." So what if you're not Facebook official with someone in your life? You (hopefully) have a few friends you define as "significant."

Step two: Spend time with the significant people in your life.

I've had many chick flick movie nights on Valentine's Day. Invite a few friends over. Buy a box of chocolates for yourself. Feel free to indulge: It's a holiday. Self-loathing is a dish best served with an overload of sugar and carbs. Plus, the moral support of your friends should reinforce your appetite.  

If that seems too girly for you, there are other options. If you want a more one-on-one experience, go on a friend date. What's that, you ask? It's when you and a friend get dressed up and go out. It looks couple-like, but that's the point.

Go to dinner and a movie. If you want to try out a nice restaurant, go to Grisanti's (6820 O St.). They have great Italian food, and the free garlic bread is definitely a perk. Another good choice would be Granite City (6150 0 St.).

If you're in downtown Lincoln, check out a few of the classier bars with a cool atmosphere. I'd recommend Marz (1140 O St.) or Barrymore's (124 N. 13th St.). Both exude a classier vibe than Brother's, and the drink prices aren't too high.  You'll feel good and sociable. Just avoid drinking yourself into a resentful stupor if you're feeling down about Valentine's Day. No one likes an emotional drunk.

If going downtown is too expensive, or you'd like to stay in, go home. Find a good recipe for your favorite dish, rent a DVD from your local Redbox, buy a cheap bottle of white wine, and ta-da! Faux classy Valentine's Day dinner. Inviting a friend is optional.

Note: I only recommend going downtown and drinking if you're of age. Stay sober, minors!

Step three: Have a sense of humor. You can either sulk about being single, or have some fun with it. I bought all of my friends Valentine's cards a few years ago. It might sound stupid, but my X-Men and Snoopy cards made people laugh at least. And they're relatively cheap: you can get a pack of 20 at Walgreen's for $5.

If you go this route, don't put too much thought into which cards to buy. The more nonsensical, the better. Also, feel free to aim for nostalgia. Are the Power Rangers cards too ridiculous? Probably. But if you're a ‘90s kid like me (and most of your college classmates), you probably have fond memories of Saturday morning cartoons. Evoke that nostalgia.

Step four: If the previous three steps don't work out, do NOT feel bad. We're in college, people are genuinely busy. Maybe your friends had dates to go on. Don't be a depressing cock block. Instead, be proactive, and don't be afraid of spending a night in.

Valentine's Day is on a Tuesday this year. If you're like me, you have plenty of midterms and projects with due dates rapidly approaching. Work on that. The best distraction from being single is burying yourself in homework and other studious activities.

I'm not going out at all this year because I took a co-worker's Valentine's Day shift. I might not be going on a date, but I'm making money.

That leads me to the Step five: Get over your high expectations of Valentine's Day. It's easy to be disappointed when you're a hopeless romantic ... or looking to get some action. If you look at it like it's just an over-commercialized Hallmark holiday you won't be let down.

Smile. Turn that frown upside-down, Debbie Downer. Be a Practical Polly, or Realistic Reynold. Enjoy being single on Valentine's Day rather than acting like it's a burden.

Damien Croghan is a senior news-editorial and international studies major. Reach him at damiencroghan@dailynebraskan.com