Zach Foster Rants: Feb 14 is FREEDOM DAY!

I originally wrote this in 2011. It's just as true today as it was back then. I wish I'd followed my own advice rather than rush into things with a woman I almost married, but in the end I dodged a nasty bullet. Today I'm more than happy with my own company. For the first time, I feel like an accomplished man and am at peace with the direction in which I'm headed in life. I wish all the same for you.

Today I want to take this opportunity to reach out to my readers on a personal level about something which people of ALL political affiliations can agree with.

I have rededicated February 14 as Freedom Day for myself and others like me, including many of my readers. I’ve had the misfortune of sharing in other people’s sorrow as many people of all age groups who find themselves in the “singles” category refer to Valentine’s Day as “Single’s Awareness Day.” This is the day where they get an even more bitter (than usual) reminder that they are alone, romantically speaking.

But honestly folks, why should it be Single’s Awareness Day? So many people all over the world suffer from self-inflicted pain because they buy into the faulty philosophy that if they don’t find a romantic partner by the end of the week, or that if they (God forbid!) come out of a relationship, the world will end. God will rain fire on Gomorrah and they didn’t even get a piece before the apocalypse! No fair! Ridiculous as it seems, people make this their personal cross and bear it for others to see.

Rarely do people consider this: what is so terrible about being single? This should be an opportunity for people to have the PRIVILEGE of taking a deep breath, stepping back from the world of relationships and focusing on bettering themselves. Personally, I’m in a point in my life where I finally truly like who I am and where I’m going in life; it’ll be a long time before my dreams are fully realized, but I know that right now I’m alright. I have the freedom to not be weighed down by the bonds of commitment to anyone other than myself, and I’m free to make my own decisions. Why is this a bad thing? Why can’t people take a step back, see the big picture, and appreciate what they’ve done (or what they want to do now that they’re not tied down either)? This is an opportunity for people to do what they want, not what others expect of them.

Sure, it’s not so easy celebrating Freedom Day when there are flowers and red balloons everywhere, but Valentine’s Day is for couples. Don’t be envious; let people enjoy their day and you enjoy yours. This is the time when people should surround themselves with good friends, or at least spend the day going out and treating themselves to what they like. There is no need to fixate on conforming to the near-hollow social standard of commitment. It will come eventually. Everyone has their day for romance. Spending the days watching the clock and wondering when it will happen only makes people miserable.

Furthermore, look around and see the couples that are MISERABLE: abusive relationships, shattered marriages, broken homes. Even in politics, how many sex scandals have there been in the last year or two just on Capitol Hill? What Democrats and Republicans have in common is more than a few sleazy members of Congress who are having affairs, making their spouses miserable.

February 14 is the day when those not celebrating Valentine’s Day can celebrate their personal freedom. Congratulations to all those who are celebrating Valentine’s Day. I’m truly happy for you. May everyone not celebrating Valentine’s Day have a most wonderful Freedom Day.