Go Fish

‘Tis my least favorite time of year… the made-up “holiday” called Valentine’s Day. I’ve never liked this commercialized, merchandise-fueled day, and not just because I’ve been single for all but two of them in my life. It’s a day that usually makes the singles feel left out and the couples feel burdened to do something spectacular to celebrate their love.

Add this year to the list of February 14^ths I’d like to forget (well, technically it was the 13^th).

This year, I didn’t feel that left out at first. Perhaps it was less painful because I have two single roommates, but many of the bars in Chicago celebrated “all the single ladies” this V-day.

My roommates and I went to a bar where they color-coded your relationship status with leis (green= single, yellow=it’s complicated, red=taken). It made it very easy to mingle with the singles. Upon entry, we were also given a playing card. If we found our matches (a guy with the same card), we would get a free drink. I thought it would be a great night—even though we didn’t have “valentines,” we were guaranteed to at least have a match.

Or so I thought.

After scouring the bar, both my roommates found their matches and got their free drinks (one of my roommates even clicked with her match and they exchanged numbers). By the end of the night, I still hadn’t found my fellow “three of hearts.” And I never did.

Just my luck! In a room where there was an identical playing card to mine—a guaranteed match somewhere—and I still couldn’t find him. After a few drinks, this realization completely depressed me. Had I been dealt a card that had no match? It got me thinking that perhaps a more appropriate card would be the joker because that’s the way the chips always have fallen for me when it comes to dating.

While I knew the idea that not finding my card match in that bar was ridiculous and no indication of my future whatsoever, it brought back all the thoughts and insecurities of failed love in my life (read: I had one drink too many). The next morning, I laughed at myself for being so dramatic. And after looking through the photos on my camera of me and my roommates from the night before, I realized how lucky I already was.

I may not have had a Valentine (or a match) that night, but I had two great friends to share it with. Together, we WERE the three of hearts. And for me, that’s a perfect match.