REAL LIFE

A Valentine's Day Disaster

By Stephanie Lynn, age 21, Massachusetts
SDM Editor-in-Chief



I will never forget Valentine's Day about a dozen years ago. It was one of the most embarrassing experiences of my life. I was in fourth grade, and kids in class all gave each other Valentine's Day cards. I mean, in fourth grade everyone gives a Valentine to everyone, even the Ralph Wiggum kid who picks his nose with his pencil.

Anyway, I asked my mother to buy some Valentine's Day cards. I told her anything but Barbie. In second grade I had been obsessed with Barbie. Of course my mom, being my mom, knew that. But by fourth grade, Barbie was soooh uncool, at least in my school. I guess we thought that Barbie and her Malibu Dreamhouse were immature now that we'd reached the sophisticated age of nine.

I thought so too, which is why I specifically told her anything but Barbie. But my mom, who is currently living in the year 2002 (but I really love you, mom!), forgot that I'd asked for cards featuring the latest Disney movie. Maybe The Lion King - I don't remember now. You know moms. They're like your other relatives in that they remember how you were years ago, and don't realize you're changing all the time. We'll probably do the same thing to our kids and grandkids, even though we swear we won't.

Okay, so everyone in class went around giving everyone else a card. 22 kids, 22 cards. Then we opened them all up. Then one kid (a boy, of course) exclaimed, "Ewww! Steph gave me a Barbie card!" Pretty soon a bunch of kids were commenting about my Barbie cards and laughing at me. I was sooooh embarrassed. I wanted to run away and hide.

Yeah, Valentine's Day is great ... and it sometimes can be kinda sucky. Especially if you're not in a relationship or you don't get any Valentine's Day cards. Believe me, I've been there.

I'm sure you've all had your share of bad Valentine's Day experiences. Feel free to write and share them. The good news is that even if February 14, 2007 isn't your Valentine's Day to remember, maybe 2008 will be. True love often happens when we least expect it.

As for the day itself, I think maybe society (including teen society) has created expectations and built it up into something that almost no one's experience can live up to ... sort of like the Griswold Family Christmas. At best, Valentine's Day is a time for people to express feelings of love and like and appreciation. At worst, it implies that if you don't have that special somebody, then you're nobody special yourself.

But, as I said, fortunes can change quickly, even reverse. The nerd, the geek, and the Ugly Betty in middle school or high school often become successful, happy adults with wonderful husbands and wives they met in college or at work. And sometimes The Plastics in high school end up not doing so well in the real world. I'm 21 now, and I see it happening. It's happened that way for me, the nerd who seldom got a Valentine past elementary school when everyone got one by law.

Cool is fleeting, popularity short lived, but character remains. Happy Valentine's Day!


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February & March Magazine Issues

March 15, 2012

The February and March issues of Sweet Designs Magazine are now online, featuring a combined 53 new articles and features!!

- Cover: Stephanie Lynn reflects on 5 years
- Cover: India (of Darn-licious knitwear)
- Life in the dumps (moving in with my bf)
- The difference between men and women
- Angels among us (parts 1 and 2)
- Arts graduates & the dark night of the soul
- Triple threat (how I survived my teen yrs)
- Dating isn't easy (my true story)
- How to turn not-so-great gifts ... (fashion)
- Ten reasons to love being single
- Taking the big leap (college)
- Valentine's Day (not what you'd expect!)
- The last of the cold (hopefully) (fashion)
- A month full of love
- Ten tips for successful airline travel
- Reasons I love writing for SDM
- Who needs love?
- They're not all the same
- The life I'm glad I don't have (fiction)
- Professional dress/ finding Fendi (fashion)
- An airport anniversary: a true story
- Inappropriate Facebook photos
- The perks of a big city (college)
- A night(mare) to forget (part 2)
- The Anita Blake series (book review)
- Saving June by Hannah Harrington (book)
- Under the Mesquite by GG McCall (book)
- The Lullaby by Sarah Dessen (book)
- If I Stay by Gayle Foreman (book review)
- My sweetheart (original poetry)
- Isn't it funny (original poetry)
- The stranger (original poetry)
- A winter wonderland (original poetry)
- One night valentine
- The thick envelopes (college acceptance)
- Southern love
- Healthy hair and vitamins
- It's a date (dating idea alternatives)
- The 30 hour famine
- School's out forever!
- Marching right back into spring? (fashion)
- Dear John
- When TV shows depict your life
- 3 Fun ways to rock spring's hottest trends
- Neglected teeth
- Starting something new
- Guy movies
- To hesitate or dive in?
- Deadly, by Julie Chibbaro (book review)
- Beastly, by Alex Flinn (book review)
- I don't care (poetry)
- Together, alone (poetry)

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